Juvenile delinquency and the psychology of general deterrence

The study was concerned with the relevance of the judicial concept of general deterrence of juvenile delinquency. A comparison of attitudes of high-school boys, in areas of low and high delinquency, towards the likelihood of apprehension and the painfulness of punishment for criminal offences, and of the boys' factual knowledge of judicial punishment, did not support the hypothesis that potential juvenile offenders are deterred by fear of apprehension and punishment, or by having an objective knowledge of penal measures. The attitudes of the boys were found to vary with different combinations of socio-economic status and delinquency levels in their geographic areas. The findings were discussed in the light of the relevant literature. It was concluded that prevention of juvenile delinquency should be based on the acquisition of appropriate social values at home and in school, and not on fear of judicial retribution.