Crime involvement in adolescence : criminogenic exposure interacting with crime propensity

• Guided by Situational Action Theory the aim of the present study was to explore the role of the social environment and its interaction with personal characteristics and experiences in crime causation among young people in a Swedish city. The interaction between young people’s crime propensity and exposure to criminogenic settings on crime involvement was tested. Furthermore, the possibility of gender-specific criminogenic settings was explored. Data from the longitudinal research project Malmö Individual and Neighbourhood Development study (MINDS) were analysed for the adolescent period. In the present study data from the second and third wave of data collection was used. The data concern in-depth data detailing self-control, morality, deterrence sensitivity and decision-making. Individuals’ exposure to different environments was collected using a Space-Time Budget (STB). The STB provide data on the participants exposure to different settings by measuring which settings they take part of and what activities they engage in, from which we gain information on their activity fields. Characteristics of settings were measured through a separate community survey. The result showed that exposure to criminogenic settings was associated with crime involvement for boys and girls respectively. However, the impact of exposure to criminogenic settingsdiffered between the sexes. The findings will be discussed in relation to policy implications and furtherresearch.

Nyckelord

Crime propensity

Criminogenic settings

Exposure

Gender differences

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)