bowlby 44 thieves

Question 1

what was the methodology of the study

Answer 1

-case study
-31 boys, 13 girls
-aged 5-17
-27 had average iq, 15 had higher iq, 2 had lower iq
-22 grade iv thieves (stealing for a long time)
- 4 grade 1 thieves (committed only one theft)
-control group, 44 similar age, iq, sex, emotionally disturbed but didn’t steal

Question 2

what was the procedures for the study

Answer 2

1. upon arrival, each child was given mental tests by a psychologist to assess intelligence, also noted the emotional attitude of the child
2. a social worker interviewed the child’s mother and recorded preliminary details about the childs early psychiatric history
   3.both the psychologist and social worker reported to bowlby
   4.bowlby interviewed the child and the mother
3. after a 2 hour examination, the team reviewed school and other reports
4. most children continued to meet with the psychiatrist on a weekly basis for 6 months
5. the mothers talked about their problems with the social worker

Question 3

what were the findings of bowlbys study

Answer 3

table 1. distribution of thieves by character type.
normal = 2
depressed = 9
circular = 2
hyperthymic = 13
affectionless = 14
schizoid = 4
table 2. distribution of thieves by character type and degree of stealing.

Question 4

what were the conclusions of bowlby’s study

Answer 4

• concluded that factors that inhibit the development of the ability to form relationships affect the likelihood of offending. supports the idea that early childhood experiences affect later behaviours
• juvenile crime is not only attributed to psychological factors, it is linked to social and economic factors too. a holistic approach should be taken to consider all factors and the impact of each of them on juvenile delinquent behaviour.
• considering these findings, treatment should be offered to delinquents