Interactionist Labeling: A Structural Equation Model of Formal Labeling and Juvenile Delinquency

• In Event: Convict Criminology 4: Prison

Abstract

This paper critically reviews prior labeling theory research concerning juvenile delinquency and crime, and presents a new study using structural equation modeling. The labeling perspective is outlined as it was originally presented, and the theoretical elaborations that have taken place since are highlighted. Distinctions are made between formally applied criminal justice labels and the informal labels that are applied by significant others and parental figures. An interactionist labeling model that incorporates respondents’ levels of self-control is presented to explain formal labeling and delinquency involvement among a nationally representative sample of American adolescents. The interactionist labeling model of delinquency dictates that behavior is influenced, in part, due to the application of negative labels.

Author

• Daniel Ryan Kavish, Lander University