Effects of Poverty, Neighborhood Quality and Connectedness on Delinquency in Adolescents

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

According to Social Disorganization Theory (SDT), disadvantaged neighborhoods experience deteriorating social ties that negatively influence parental perception of neighborhood quality, formal and informal parental surveillance over adolescents and children resulting into youth’s negative outcomes including delinquency. Also informed by SDT, evidence on the effects of neighborhood connectedness and poverty on adolescents’ delinquent behaviors have been found though results are mostly inconclusive and have not further examine differential effects across ethnic/racial groups and/or gender groups. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health, Wave I), this study explores the links between poverty, parental perception of neighborhood quality, adolescent neighborhood connectedness and delinquency in a nationally representative sample of N=4,777 adolescents (12-19 years old, mean age: 16.01; 48.4% females). Preliminary results from multiple regression analyses provided evidence of statistically significant associations between parental perceptions of neighborhood quality and adolescent delinquency, as well as poverty level and adolescent delinquency. Additional analyses will further explore similarities and differences across ethnic groups, namely African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic, as well as gender groups on the tested associations across study predictors. Practical and theoretical implications will be discussed as well as recommendations for future research will be provided.

Authors

• Phuong Le, Texas Tech University

• Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo, Texas Tech University