| The purpose of this study was to investigate leisure in the lives of adolescents who engaged in delinquent activities for the expressed purposes of fun, thrills, and excitement. Central to this investigation was identification of characteristics, satisfactions, and benefits associated with delinquent experiences; examination of the nature of the delinquent experiences within the framework of existing leisure theory; and investigation of factors involved in the decision to engage in delinquent behavior rather than more socially acceptable forms of leisure pursuit.;This research was based on data collected from eight male participants, aged 19 to 21, who resided in the State of Oregon during the spring of 1992. One participant was African American, one was Native American, and the others were Caucasian. As juveniles they had been arrested for a variety of crimes including gang related activities. Data collection included initial and exit in-depth interviews, a series of quantitative instruments, personal journals, and focus group sessions.;Regarding leisure involvement, most participants engaged in school-organized sports activities. All participants indicated minimal leisure involvement with their families while growing up. Although participants expressed interest in a variety of conventional leisure pursuits, they identified numerous constraints that prevented them from engaging in more normative leisure activities. Constraints frequently identified included lack of material resources, over-regulation of activities, insufficient challenge to make the activity interesting, and no one with whom to participate in particular pursuits.;Participants indicated that delinquent activities provided greater benefits than conventional leisure activities. Most frequently cited benefits were fun, excitement, a sense of belonging and acceptance, arousal, and the release of energy and stress. Participants used their creativity to facilitate delinquent opportunities for their personal enjoyment.;Participants discussed delinquent activity in much the same way leisure activity has been portrayed in the literature. That is, activities were planned, anticipated, shared, and reminisced afterwards. Although existing leisure theory does not generally recognize delinquent activity as leisure, these delinquent activities demonstrated many of the attributes of "pure leisure" as defined through contemporary leisure models. |
