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Exploring the Limits: Structural Background Factors and the Threshold of Criminal Pathways using Add Health data

Fri, Nov 15, 3:30 to 4:50pm, Salon 12 - Lower B2 Level

Abstract

Sampson and Laub’s (1993) life-course theory of crime challenged previous work on social control and the criminal life course. Their longitudinal research revealed that childhood conduct problems and temperament could predict later criminal offending, yet it did not irrevocably condemn individuals to a life of crime. Turning points, such as marriage and employment, could divert them from a criminal trajectory. Despite the implications of these findings, empirical tests have yet to explore the dynamic influences of individual and structural factors on delinquency and future criminality using modern longitudinal data.

This study represents the first attempt to investigate the relationship between Sampson and Laub's structural background factors and their potential indirect effects on future criminality, utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Employing a weighted threshold design, we aim to determine if there exists a maximum threshold of the number of structural background factors, such as residential mobility and poverty, an individual can experience before they are significantly more likely to be on a pathway to criminality. This analysis controls for various individual constructs. The findings from this study carry substantial implications for understanding the intricate interplay between structural factors, social control processes, and criminal outcomes.

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