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Contributions of Three Criminological Theories to Explore Violent Delinquency of Urban Adolescents in Chicago’s Southside
Author(s) -
Hong Jun Sung,
Choi Jungtae,
Robinson Luz E.,
Peguero Anthony A.,
Espelage Dorothy L.,
Voisin Dexter R.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
juvenile and family court journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.155
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1755-6988
pISSN - 0161-7109
DOI - 10.1111/jfcj.12197
Subject(s) - juvenile delinquency , general strain theory , social control theory , bivariate analysis , psychology , religiosity , social psychology , feeling , differential association , developmental psychology , criminology , mathematics , statistics
This study aims to compare the applicability of the Social Disorganization Theory, General Strain Theory, and Social Control Theory in the exploration of violent delinquency in Chicago’s Southside. The study participants included 546 adolescents in Chicago. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Supporting the Social Disorganization Theory, affiliation with delinquent peers mediated the association between poor neighborhood conditions and delinquency. Supporting the General Strain Theory, emotional distress mediated the relationship between peer victimization and delinquency. Inconsistent with the Social Control Theory, however, religiosity did not buffer the relationship between feeling disconnected from parents and delinquency.