CARS AND KIDS: A SELF REPORT STUDY OF JUVENILE AUTO THEFT AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS

Although automobiles play an important part in adolescent life, juvenile misuse of cars has been understudied by sociologists. The favored group and the disadvantaged group perspectives have been proposed as descriptions of and tentative explanations for the presumed patterns of auto theft and to a lesser degree of traffic offenses. Using self-report data from Atlanta, this study found that neither approach was well supported. Contrary to previous research, auto theft is not a "pure" delinquency specialty. Auto thieves and traffic offenders were likely to be involved in other delinquent activities as well. Further, gang members were more likely to be auto misusers than youth who did not belong to a gang. While auto misuse is not a unique pattern of delinquency, on both empirical and theoretical levels, an explanation of the situated dynamics of auto misuse and not merely the correlates of auto misusers seems to be warranted.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Southern California, Los Angeles

  School of Policy, Planning and Development
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90089-0626
• Authors:
  • Higgins, P C
  • Albrecht, G L
• Publication Date: 1981-10

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 29-41
• Serial:
  • Scoiology and Social Research
  • Volume: 66
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Automobiles; Social factors; Theft; Traffic violators; Transportation disadvantaged persons
• Uncontrolled Terms: Disadvantaged persons
• Old TRIS Terms: Delinquency
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00366997
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-033 002
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 30 1982 12:00AM