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Religion as an insulator of delinquency in schools

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Abstract

While much of the current social control literature has examined the role of religiosity in delinquency, very little attention has been given to its effect on school delinquency. This study sought to fill that void by examining the effectiveness of social bond theory in restraining students from committing school delinquency in a rural Southern county. Further, given the literature that suggests that delinquency varies along developmental stages, the authors also sought to determine the effect of the revised social bond along 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. Findings indicate that social control theory was moderately successful in explaining school delinquency, while religion achieved significance in the 6th, 8th, and 12th grades, but not the 10th grade. Suggestions for practitioners and policy makers are also discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Correctional and Juvenile Justice Studies, Eastern Kentucky University, 109 Stratton Building, 521 Lancaster Avenue, 40475, Richmond, KY

    Lisa Hutchinson Wallace & Nathan T. Moore

  2. University of Louisiana at Monroe, USA

    Stacy C. Moak

Authors
  1. Lisa Hutchinson Wallace
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  2. Stacy C. Moak
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  3. Nathan T. Moore
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Correspondence to Lisa Hutchinson Wallace.

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Wallace, L.H., Moak, S.C. & Moore, N.T. Religion as an insulator of delinquency in schools. Am J Crim Just 29, 217–233 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02885736

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