The Effects of Life Domains on Self-Reported Crime: Testing Agnew’s General Theory of Crime and Delinquency

• In Event: Examining Theoretical Propositions for Offending Career Dimensions

Abstract

This study is a partial test of Agnew’s (2005) general theory of crime and delinquency, examining the contemporaneous and lagged effects of four life domains on criminal behavior. Data are drawn from two waves of the Kaplan Longitudinal and Multigenerational Study (KLAMS). Multivariate logistic regression is used to compare the effects of each life domain. Results provide limited support for Agnew’s proposition that the self and peer domains will exhibit large relative contemporaneous effects. Peer delinquency (b = 145.61, p < .001), irritability (b = 23.98, p < .001), and beliefs favorable to crime (b = 81.89, p < .01) are significant contemporaneous predictors. The hypothesis that the contemporaneous effects will be larger in magnitude than the lagged effects also received limited support. The lagged effects of peer delinquency (b = 14.11, p < .01) and irritability (b = 2.79, p < .05) were smaller than their contemporaneous effects. Some variables that exhibited insignificant contemporaneous effects produced significant lagged effects (e.g., criminal family members (b = 3.08, p < .05)). Mixed results highlight the complexity of Agnew’s theory. As one of the more complete tests of a relatively untested theory, these results are valuable for their ability to inform future testing.

Authors

• Joseph M. Calvert, University of Kentucky

• Tony P. Love, University of Kentucky

• Amanda Bunting, University of Kentucky