Neutralization and Delinquency among Teenagers

A review of the literature dealing with Sykes and Matza's theory of delinquency suggests that there is a need for a measure of their concept of neutralization that is both psychometrically sound and sensitive to the limited verbal skills of many delinquents. A neutralization scale was accordingly developed; evidence is offered to suggest that it is both reliable, in terms of internal consistency, and valid, in terms of (a) its relationship with other measures of a propensity toward delinquency, (b) its ability to differentiate between delinquents and nondelinquents, and (c) its ability to predict subsequent delinquency among incarcerated young offenders (both while institutionalized and during a 1-year postdischarge follow-up).