ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT This study examined associations between selected psychosocial variables and chronic delinquency, defined as the number of adjudicated offenses in the juvenile's offense history. Dimensions of chronicity included number of current offenses, number of prior offenses, combined number of current and prior offenses, and number of adjudicated felonies. Subjects were delinquent offenders incarcerated at youth institutions. Pearson correlation was used to examine relationships between independent variables and offense chronicity measures. Variables found to have significant relationships with the criterion measures were then submitted to factor analysis to disclose the interrelated structures of the psychosocial variables. A seven-factor model was produced that offered a paradigm for the underlying psychosocial elements of chronic delinquency. This model was regressed on the four dimensions of chronic delinquency. Results indicate that family functioning, defined as the degree of affectionate bonding between youth and parents, contributes significantly to all dimensions of chronic delinquency. Other factors related to chronic delinquency include number of out-of-home placements in institutions and foster homes, abuse in foster home and institutional placements, commission of delinquent acts with peers and siblings, drug use during offense commission, poor school attendance, and early age at first adjudication.
