Crime causation study

de Sheldon Glueck, Eleanor Glueck, Radcliffe College. Henry A. Murray Research Center

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the multifaceted causes of juvenile delinquency. The Gluecks investigated possible contributions to crime causation on four levels: socio-cultural (socioeconomic), somatic (physique), intellectual, and emotional-temperamental. The sample consisted of 1000 white male participants: 500 delinquents and 500 nondelinquents matched on age, intelligence, ethnicity, and neighborhood residence. Data were collected in three waves: 1940-1948 (500 delinquents, 500 nondelinquents); 1948-1956 (453 delinquents, 490 nondelinquents); 1954-1963 (436 delinquents, 467 nondelinquents). Subsequent Generated from a variety of sources, data included psychological tests, semistructured home interviews with each participant and his family, interviews with school personnel, psychiatric and physical examinations of participants, and detailed examination of institutional records. Based on these data, the Gluecks analyzed over 400 factors. The Murray Center has available paper data for 480 delinquent participants (at Time I), including extensive data about participant's criminal history, family history, school history, club membership history, and military history. Numerous social agency and peno-correctional records, ranging from accounts of foster home placement to institutional experiences are also available. Various achievement tests (general, reading, and arithmetic), intelligence test responses and scores, Rorschach Inkblot Test responses and scores, and clinical summaries of psychiatric interviews with participantsconstitute the range of available psychological data, along with original case notes. Data are also available for 453 delinquents at Time II, and 436 delinquents at Time III. In addition, the data set includes miscellaneous paper data on 175 delinquents excluded from the active study. Computer-accessible data are available for the original 1000 participants on all measures. Microfiche copies of paper data for 500 nondelinquents are also available, and some data for delinquent participants are available on 35 mm microfilm.