| Abstract: | Cognitive learning theory of delinquency proposes mat as a result of early negative conditioning, particularly in the family and school settings, at-risk youth are more apt to develop an insecure, alienated belief system which increases the likelihood that they will perceive the world as a hostile place where their fate is in the hands of outside circumstances. According to the cognitive perspective, as the at-risk level of youth increases, their world view or locus of control will tend to become more external. The present study tests this proposition by investigating the relationship of at-risk level to locus of control for a sample of 196 juvenile shoplifters. The study utilizes an at-risk scale developed by the author and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. Results generally confirm the hypothesis that level of risk is positively related to an external locus of control. Ways to reverse the cumulative process of learned insecurity and perceived alienation are discussed. |
