Personality Factors in Delinquent Boys: Differences Between Blacks and Whites

Abstract

One hundred and nineteen boys who were either institution alized or in active contact with the juvenile court were interviewed and classified into interpersonal maturity categories. Internal- external locus of control, future time perspective, legal status, socioeconomic status, intelligence, age and five aspects of guilt were assessed. Interpersonal maturity was directly related to internal locus of control for the whole sample, while future time perspective and guilt were not. When these variables were analyzed with respect to race of the delinquents, a different pattern of relationships emerged. The interpersonally mature Blacks are more external and have a shorter time perspective, whereas inter personally mature Whites are more internal but their time per spective is no different from immature boys. These and other results suggest that the acquisition of interpersonal maturity is related to the expectation of rewards (opportunities) and sup pression by society, and that these have differentially damaging effects on Black and White male delinquents.