Question

Describe why the work of Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck had such a great influence on developmental theory. Explain your view on the value of their work as it applies to problems with delinquency today.

Answer 1

The foundations of the development theory is traced to the work that Harvard researchers Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck conducted in the 1930s. Their research focused on early onset of deliquency as a harbinger of a delinquent career. They both conducted a series of longitudinal studies that compared delinquents to non-delinquents. Their key findings were early onset of delinquency leads to adult crime. The major factors that influenced and related to persistent offending were family relations, the quality of discipline and emotional ties and biological traits. They noted thestability of offending careers in finding that children who are antisocial early in life are the most likely to continue offending careers into adulthood. Their work found the most influential factors that influenced youth to commit deliquency and found predictive relationships between these elements and found a connections between early deliqeuncy and an adulthood of the same behavior. Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck identified several personal and social factors related to persistant offending and the importance of family relations being the one key element that can Identify deliquency. If we take a look at our society today, many youths who come from broken homes are more likely to display deliquent behavior.