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Abstract

All seven variables of Containment theory were operationalized in order to examine which combination of them related best to self-reported delinquency and to official involvement with the law. The data, from questionnaires administered in four high schools and three correctional institutions in Oklahoma, revealed stronger relationships with self-reported delinquency than with official involvementfor both males and females. While internalization of rules accounted for the most variation in delinquency among high school students, frustration tolerance was most related to delinquency among institutionalized students. Self-perception, the containment variable receiving the most attention in the past, was much less related to delinquency than were the other containment variables.

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Containment Theory Reevaluated: An Empirical Explication

Abstract

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