Causal Link of Health Risk Behavior and Petty Crime Among Youth via Neighborhood

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

While most research looking at neighborhood characteristics isolate the consequences, it is important to look at the causal pathway of how those consequences are mediated. This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to observe neighborhood quality effects on health risk behavior and petty crime. The study examines possible relationships among health and crime as well, particularly dichotomized by blacks and whites. Findings indicate that while neighborhood quality is not strongly correlated with most of the health risk and crime measures, drug use acts as a common link between health risk behavior and petty crime that are both drug related and non-drug related.

Authors

• Nusrat Islam, University of Akron

• James Carter, University of Akron