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Multifaceted Reality of Juvenile Delinquency: An Empirical Analysis of Structural Theories and Literature

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Abstract

The adolescent’s world of delinquent behaviors and risk and protective factors around each behavior is very complicated and articulating certain characteristics or contents of effective programs thus has been intricate. This paper reports the findings of a study examining an original model with the three problems of major juvenile delinquent behaviors: substance abuse, tobacco smoking and violent behavior, by testing their risk/protective factors derived from theories and past empirical studies. The satisfactory model fit was confirmed with the Structural Equation Modeling and structure of a multidimensional construct in the hypothesized model, which showed specified causal linkage, was validated. The authors also found 10 mediating effects among risk/protective factors either with theoretical/past literature result rationale or authors assumptions which led both to confirmatory and new findings.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, 211 S. Cooper St., Arlington, TX, 76019, USA

    Chie Noyori-Corbett & Sung Seek Moon

Authors
  1. Chie Noyori-Corbett
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  2. Sung Seek Moon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sung Seek Moon.

Appendices

Appendex 1: Construction of Variables

Violent Behavior (4 items)

Answers range: 0 (0 times) to 4 (10 or more times).

  1. 1.

    Times gotten into a serious fight at school.

  2. 2.

    Times taken part in groups fight.

  3. 3.

    Times attacked someone.

  4. 4.

    Times carried a gun.

Parental Involvement (7 items)*

Answers range: 1 (Never) to 4 (Always).

  1. 1.

    In past year parents check your homework.

  2. 2.

    In past year parents provide help with homework.

  3. 3.

    In pat year parents make you do chores.

  4. 4.

    In past year parents limit the amount of time watched TV.

  5. 5.

    In past year parents limit the time go out with friends.

  6. 6.

    In past year parents let you know you’ve done a good job.

  7. 7.

    In past year parents tell proud of you for what you have done.

Extracurricular Activities (4 items)

Answers range: 1 (None) to 3 (3 or more times).

  1. 1.

    School-based activities participated.

  2. 2.

    Community-based activities participated.

  3. 3.

    Faith-based activities participated.

  4. 4.

    Other activities participated.

Prevention Programs (2 items) *

Answers range: 1 (No) to 2 (Yes).

  1. 1.

    Participated in a violence prevention program.

  2. 2.

    Participated in an alcohol, tobacco, or drug prevention program.

Deviant Peer Influence (4 items)

Answers range: 1 (strongly/Somewhat Disapprove) to 2 (Neither/Approve nor Disapprove).

  1. 1.

    Close friend’s feeling about your smoking.

  2. 2.

    Close friend’s feeling about your trying marijuana/hashish once or twice.

  3. 3.

    Close friend’s feeling about your using marijuana/hashish once a month or more.

  4. 4.

    Close friend’s feeling about your having an alcohol.

(*) These items were reversed in order for the purpose of analysis.

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

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Noyori-Corbett, C., Moon, S.S. Multifaceted Reality of Juvenile Delinquency: An Empirical Analysis of Structural Theories and Literature. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 27, 245–268 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-010-0205-x

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