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“About Face” for Delinquent Youth: Military Service as a Turning Point Across the Life Course

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Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The current study explores how military service can influence later criminal offending, as informed by the age-graded theory of informal social control. Specifically, the current study is testing whether military service in adulthood acts as a turning point for delinquent youths. We build off previous literature by implementing a research design that addresses important gaps in this literature, such as a more recent military population and comparing self-reported criminal offending to police contacts. Both include overall crime measures and specific crime categories. This study also examines differences in self-reported offending and arrests for different the types of service within the military.

Methods

The current study uses a nationally representative sample of delinquent youths from the Add Health. We employ propensity score matching and logistic regression to test the effects of military service on self-reported criminal offending and arrests.

Results

Our results suggest that military service reduces future overall self-reported criminal offending for delinquent youths. However, the only specific category of crime influenced is drug arrests. Additionally, we find that those in the military reserves are substantially more likely to engage in drug crime than those with active duty service.

Conclusions

The findings of the current study not only address many gaps in the current literature but also postulate a reason for the mixed findings in the literature. In addition, the results indicate that the criminal justice system may treat military servicemen and servicewomen differently than those with no military service on minor forms of crime. Limitations and policy implications are also discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Liberal and Performing Arts, Southern Arkansas University, 100 E University, MSC 9293, Magnolia, AR, 71753, USA

    Elizabeth L. Gloyd

  2. Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, 1 University Way, San Antonio, TX, 78224, USA

    Wanda E. Leal

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Correspondence to Elizabeth L. Gloyd.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 5 Correlations among respondent’s self-reported criminal behavior and arrests
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Table 6 Low self-control scale
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Gloyd, E.L., Leal, W.E. “About Face” for Delinquent Youth: Military Service as a Turning Point Across the Life Course. J Dev Life Course Criminology 5, 461–479 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40865-018-0096-7

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