Abstract
Behavioral standards are an important determinant of delinquent behavior. The present study investigated the associations between behavioral standards and juvenile delinquency of children in reformatory institutions. A total of 1 248 children in reformatory institutions completed the Standard for Public Space Scale (SPS). The resulting alpha coefficients suggested that the SPS had high internal reliability. Factor analysis revealed five factors: (a) Public Values, (b) Egocentric, (c) Regional-standards, (d) Peer-standards, and (e) Care about Others. Cluster analysis revealed that juvenile delinquency experiences fell into two clusters of “likelihood of committing a crime” and “committing a crime”. In addition, ANOVAs suggested that juvenile delinquents in reformatory institutions had higher scores on factors of Egocentric and Peer-standards on the behavioral standards, compared to juvenile non-delinquents. The value of using the Standard for Public Space Scale for the study of juvenile delinquency was discussed.
