A structural equation modeling analysis of the effect of religion on adolescent delinquency within an elaborated theoretical model: The relationship after considering family, peer, school, and neighborhood influences

Juvenile offending has been a nationally recognized persistent social problem. Current interventions are still distant from comprehensive and holistic resolutions in preventing and decreasing delinquent behaviors. One critical limitation of the existing intervention strategies for decreasing juvenile delinquency is the exclusion of religious factors.;The main purpose of this dissertation is to reexamine the relationship between religiosity and delinquency in a multivariate context by adopting advanced research methods and extending earlier work with a sample from ADD Health data. Additionally, in recognition of the importance of temporal order between exogenous variables and endogenous variables, exogenous variables are chosen from the wave 1 data and endogenous variables were taken from the wave 2 data for the present study. The use of two wave data greatly reduces the threat of spuriousness. As the theoretical framework of the present study, the social control theory is elaborated upon by incorporating the basic concept of delinquent peer influence from the differential association theory.;Utilizing the structural equation model (SEM), the theoretical model examines both the direct effects of adolescent religious belief and its indirect effect through other intervening factors from social control theory and differential association theory. Also, based on previous studies that the effects of religiosity vary across different types of delinquent behavior, the study examines the effect of religiosity separately for minor offenses and serious offenses.;The results indicate that adolescent religiosity has a statistically significant direct and independent effect on serious delinquent behaviors. Yet the results are somewhat different for minor offenses. The persistent and significant effect of adolescent religiosity on family, peers, and schools provides support that the effect of religious belief on delinquency can be extensive in deterring delinquent behaviors through these non-religious factors.;The implications of the results for theory and future research are discussed, along with limitations of the analysis. Furthermore, implications for social work practice and policy are examined in greater detail, albeit not exhaustively, because the integration of religious factors into social service provisions can be challenging due to constitutional concerns related to the separation between Church and State.