The author explains that societal context is crucial in understanding juvenile delinquency. Neighborhood-level influences have been found to affect the delinquency of juveniles. However, how these neighborhood-level influences differentially affect girls and boys has received scant attention. To examine this issue, the author analyzed individual-level data from 1,536 middle school students in 6 cities. Neighborhood-level data was obtained for factors such as overcrowding, mobility, unit density, education/occupation, and concentrated disadvantage. Results indicated that individual-level factors did not affect the delinquency of girls differently than it did of boys. However, neighborhood-level analysis indicated that residential mobility and unit density did interact with the sex variable. More specifically, as neighborhood mobility increased, so too did the delinquency of girls. Further, as neighborhood mobility increases, the frequency of girls acts of delinquency increased. As for unit density, the higher the level of unit density, the lower the delinquency of both sexes. However, for this variable girls were affected more than males. Thus, the higher the unit density, the lower the delinquency of girls. The author cautions that this research is limited by its data, which was obtained from a public school sample. References, appendices
Downloads
Similar Publications
- Insights into turning points from the perspective of young people with out-of-home care experience: events, impact and facilitators of change
- Student Outcomes from the Pilot Test of a Comprehensive School Safety Framework for High Schools: Student Ownership, Accountability, and Responsibility for School Safety (SOARS)
- Cause of head injury and between- and within-individual changes in impulsivity and binge drinking