Keywords
Delinquency; Criminal Justice; Juveniles; Religion; Crime; Corrections
Abstract
This study examines whether religiosity moderates the relationship between neighborhood disorder and delinquent behavior among juvenile offenders. Drawing on Social Disorganization Theory and Neighborhood Disorder, the study hypothesizes that religiosity, both as an attitude and as a behavior, serves as a protective factor against delinquency in disordered neighborhoods. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance study, this research employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with and without interaction terms to assess how individual perceptions of disorder interact with religiosity in influencing minor and major delinquency. Results indicate a significant positive association between perceived neighborhood disorder and delinquency, reinforcing the notion that disordered environments contribute to youth offending. However, contrary to expectations, religiosity did not moderate this relationship, suggesting that its protective effects may not be sufficient to counteract the influence of neighborhood disorder among high-risk youth. Additionally, while religious attitude displayed a stronger deterrent effect on minor delinquency than major delinquency, religious behavior showed no significant difference. These findings challenge prior research that posits religiosity as a universal buffer against delinquency and highlight the importance of structural interventions over individual-level protective factors. The study concludes that while religiosity may influence moral development, its capacity to offset environmental criminogenic risks is limited, particularly among juvenile offenders. Future research should explore the role of religious engagement in different populations and develop multidimensional measures of religiosity to better capture its nuanced effects on delinquency.
Thesis Completion Year
2025
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Ray, James
College
College of Community Innovation and Education
Thesis Discipline
Criminal Justice
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
High, Mason T., "Faith Amid Chaos: Does Religiosity Buffer Youth Delinquency in Disordered Neighborhoods?" (2025). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 234.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/234
Included in
Criminology Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons
Rights Statement
