NCJ Number
208025
Date Published
September 2004
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between religiosity and delinquent behavior in a sample (n=1,200) of Maribor University undergraduate students in Slovenia.
Abstract
The study, which was conducted in 2003, involved a sample of students that encompassed all tracks and years of study. It reflected the numerical majority of females in the school (58 to 42 percent), and the ages varied between 18 and 26. The index of religiosity was composed of 11 statements that addressed ritual (personal prayer and church attendance); agreement with the basic tenets of Christianity; attraction of religious practice (rejection of statements on religious practice being dull or boring); and striving toward religious expectations for behavior. In addition to religiosity, other independent variables measured were low self-control and masculinity. The dependent variable was delinquency, as measured by self-reports of vandalism, inappropriate consumption of alcohol, using drugs, school delinquency, general delinquency, theft, and physical attack on another person. The study found that personal religiosity did have a significant inhibitory effect upon general delinquency. Religiosity had a greater inhibitory impact on delinquency for those students from small-town and rural communities rather than large cities, supporting the contention of Stark et al. (1982) that a "moral community" is the environment where religiosity has its greatest effect. Gender was the most potent independent variable linked to delinquency, with women being significantly less likely to engage in delinquent behavior. Low self-control was also a potent predictor of delinquency. 1 figure, 2 tables, and 24 references