A cross-cultural study of correlates of crime

Journal of Abnormal and social Psychology • Vol/Iss. 66 • Published In • Pages: 291-300 •
By Bacon, Margaret K., Child, Irvin L. , Barry III, Herbert

Abstract

Causal factors to the development of crime are examined. Frequency of theft and personal crime are tested against these causal factors in a search for correlations.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
HRAF Collection of Ethnography (paper/fiche)in part
OtherOther Researchers

Hypotheses (8)

HypothesisSupported
". . . personal crime is correlated with a suspicious or distrustful attitude toward the environment" (299).Supported
". . . societies high in frequency of Theft tend to have folk tales which do not represent the environment as kind" (298).Supported
"Frequency of Personal Crime shows a significant positive correlation with Dependence Socialization Anxiety . . ." (298).Supported
". . . there is a high positive relationship between prolonged, exclusive mother-child sleeping arrangements and frequency of Personal Crime" (298).Supported
"Frequency of Theft is positively related to Sense of Property . . ." (297).Supported
". . . with an increased Level of Political Integration, Social Stratification, and Elaboration of Social Control there is an increase in the frequency of Theft" (297).Supported
"Frequency of Theft is also positively correlated with socialization anxiety during the period of childhood with respect to the following areas of training: Responsibility, Self-Reliance, Achievement and Obedience" (296).Supported
"As the opportunity for contact with the father decreases, the frequency of both Theft and Personal Crime increases" (294).Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: mas  Jessie Cohen