Delinquency among Seminole Indian youth
Description
This exploratory study examined delinquency among the Seminole Indians of Florida. First, it measured a variety of delinquent acts committed by Seminole youths residing on and off the three Florida Reservations. Second, it applied concepts central to social control theory. The control variables examined were attachment, commitment, and belief The data came from one primary source, a self-administered questionnaire anonymously filled out by youths aged 10 to 17. The 129 completed questionnaires represent 70 percent of the Seminole youth population in that age range. Even though the findings are known to underrepresent delinquency in the population, the self report data reflected very high rates of delinquency on all three Reservations. In addition to statistical data, unstructured interviews were used to provide illustration The study found that Seminole youths who commit delinquent acts are free to do so inasmuch as they believe that their behavior is not wrong and that the consequences for their law-breaking will not be severe Further, the findings suggest that conventional ideas about bicultural socialization and Indian marginality must be questioned. Seminole youth have skillfully acquired functional behaviors for both Indian and non-Indian cultures and may be viewed as transcultural