Social capital, individual disorders and property offences.
This paper examines the relevance to delinquency of social capital that is directly embedded in the relationships that teenagers have with peers, parents, and those in positions of authority and those indirect social capital that teenagers may benefit due their parents' relations with their school or friends. The analysis employs data from the Canadian National Survey of Children. The study shows that personality traits are the most important predictors of property offences. Nevertheless, we also show the importance of social relationships embedded directly in individuals themselves and these are more important than those embedded indirectly through their family. Well connected youth with good friends and quality teachers commit significantly less property offences when controlling for personality traits and parents' social capital.
Nakhaie
M Reza
MR
Department of Sociology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4. nakhaie@uwindsor.ca
Sacco
Vincent F
VF
D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002170:Canada; D002605:Character; D002648:Child; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010379:Peer Group; D012933:Social Identification; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013800:Theft / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data