The Differential Effects of Informal and Formal Social Controls on the Processing of Status Offenders

Abstract

Many studies have examined gender bias within juvenile court processing of delinquents, but few have examined the theoretical relationship between informal and formal social controls and a juvenile offender's disposition. This thesis integrates Black's theory of social control and feminist theory to hypothesize that a breakdown in informal controls will be more consequential for female status offenders than for male status offenders. Additionally, an offender's “disrespectability” is expected to result in harsher disposition outcomes for female status offenders. All status offenders from a midwestern state between the years 1975 and 1987 will be analyzed to determine the validity of these hypotheses.