NCJ Number
146795
Journal
Sociological Spectrum Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1994) Pages: 65-86
Date Published
1994
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The relationship between religiosity and various acts of self-reported deviance was studied from a social control perspective, using data from 271 first-year students at Seton Hall University, a Catholic university in New Jersey.
Abstract
Information was gathered by means of anonymous self- report questionnaires and followup interviews, which focused on multiple dimensions of religiosity and criminal deviance during the previous 12 months. As an extension of social control theory, the research sought to assess the importance of religion relative to other forms of social control in explaining deviance. The study used unidimensional and multidimensional measures of deviance. Results revealed that neither type of measures was significant variables in explaining variations in self-reported deviance. Instead, the significant variables were moral beliefs, family attachment, and respect for authority. Findings indicated that if religion affects deviance, it might do so indirectly. Advanced research methods and statistical techniques are needed to clarify the path of religiosity in affecting deviance. Tables, appended scale of religiosity, and 46 references