NCJ Number
206075
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 82 Issue: 4 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 1553-1572
Date Published
June 2004
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between family religiosity and adolescent delinquency.
Abstract
There has been a long history of scholarly interest in the relationship between crime and religion. This study adds to this body of knowledge by examining how intergenerational religious dynamics affect adolescent delinquency. The theoretical foundation of the research combines aspects of religious influences among adolescents, especially the effects of parental religious characteristics and religious dynamics within the family, with delinquency in adolescence. Using data derived from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, religion’s potential for reducing or facilitating adolescent delinquency was examined. Various measures of religion and delinquency were examined among the sample of 10,444 adolescents and their mothers. Results of statistical analyses indicate that the mother’s and the adolescent’s religiosity were inversely related to subsequent delinquency only when both mother and adolescent were similarly religious. When mother and adolescent were religiously different, delinquency was more likely to occur. Thus, it was only in households where religious practices and beliefs were shared that religion served as a protective factor to adolescent delinquency involvement. The findings show that religion could be a power cohesive factor when it was shared among family members, but when unshared it can act in divisive ways. The current study was unable to explore the effects of father’s religiosity; as such, future studies should continue to explore the untested effects of family religious context. Tables, figures, notes, references