NCJ Number
143222
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1993) Pages: 192-212
Date Published
1993
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This research examines the relationship between type of place and juvenile delinquency in an effort to extend knowledge about the "determinist" theory.
Abstract
Determinist theory, associated with Simmel (1971) and Wirth (1938), contends that urban living causes crime through the intervening variables of urbanism. Urbanism, in turn, is viewed as being characterized by weakened social control, weakened social relations or bonds, greater anomie, and greater tolerance of differences. The research reported in this paper examined whether type of residential place that is more urban leads to greater juvenile delinquency by increasing levels of urbanism and whether an individual's current place of residence has a stronger effect on urbanism and delinquency than does the type of place where the person grew up. Data for this research, available through the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, were from the Youth in Transition studies conducted by the Survey Research Center. Data were collected from the same individuals at four times from 1966 to 1970 through questionnaires administered to both groups and individuals. Four categories of variables were used for the analysis: type of place (two measures), urbanism (six measures), delinquency (three indexes), and antecedent/control variables. The results provide little support for the determinist theory. Urbanism, as measured here, does not mediate or reduce a positive relationship between type of place and delinquency, because there is no positive relationship between type of place and delinquency in the data. 6 tables, 7 notes, and 37 references