Theoretical Predictors of Delinquency Among Public School Students in a Mid-Southern State: The Role of Context and Gender

• NCJ Number: 224485
• Journal: Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 343-362
• Author(s): Nathan C. Lowe; David C. May; Preston Elrod
• Date Published: October 2008
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Theoretical predictors of delinquency among a sample of rural and small-town youths were examined by testing the impact of numerous theoretical indexes for both in-school settings and out-of-school settings.

Abstract

Study findings were consistent with existing research on theoretical predictors of delinquency. Support for a number of elements of various theories was evident in the findings. Attachment to school was a buffer against delinquency in every context, with those youth who were most attached to school being significantly less likely to engage in both in-school and out-of-school delinquency. This supports the perspective of social-disorganization and social-control theorists, who focus on attachment to normative institutions as being significant in youths’ positive development. Self-reported victimization was also found to be a strong theoretical predictor within each setting. Students with higher levels of victimization were more likely to engage in delinquency in every situation. Another strong theoretical predictor of delinquency was delinquent peer influence. Family strain, along with other stressful stimuli, also proved to be a strong theoretical predictor within every context, supporting the assumptions of strain, cultural conflict, and critical theories. Gender-related, theory-based findings are also discussed. Study data were collected in a predominately rural county in the Appalachian region of the United States. Data for the study were derived from one middle school, one high school, and the alternative school. Participants included 496 middle school students (grades 6 to 8) and 858 high-school students (grades 9 to 12), with an approximately even split between boys and girls. Nineteen scales and subscales composed the survey instrument, which was tested for validity and reliability. 4 tables, appended survey instrument, and 69 references