NCJ Number
186649
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 171-199
Editor(s)
Mercer L. Sullivan
Date Published
May 2000
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This study attempts to test the generality of social control, and differential association theories to a population that has been infrequently studied: young adult felons drawn from the inner city. These two theories have been found to have the most consistent empirical support in studies of juveniles.
Abstract
Although often tested empirically on high school samples, differential association and social control theories have only infrequently been used to explain offending by felons. Based on a sample of 1,153 newly incarcerated felons, the ability of differential association and social control theories to explain self-reported offending across types of crime and gender groups is examined. Overall, the analyses lend support to both perspectives and suggest that they are general theories of crime. It appears, though, that differential association theory has more consistent effects, especially for men. Parental attachment is a significantly stronger predictor of female than male participation in violent crime. The results indicate that future studies of criminal behavior risk being misdiagnosed if they do not include measures of these traditional theories of crime. References