Volume
45, No. 4
October 2003
Editorial
Does
the Relationship Between Family Structure and Delinquency Vary According
to Circumstances? An Investigation of Interaction Effects
Christopher A. Kierkus and Douglas Baer
Investigating
the Interdependence of Strain and Self-Control
Tracey Peter, Teresa C. LaGrange, and Robert A. Silverman
Commentaries
on Universal Firearm Registration in Canada
Introduction
Thomas Gabor
Gun Control:
Placing Costs in Context
Neil Boyd
Long Gun
Registration: A Poorly Aimed Longshot
Philip Stenning
The Federal
Gun Registry: An Urgent Need for Independent, Non-partisan Research
Thomas Gabor
Book Reviews
/ Recensions de livres
See <http://www.ccja-acjp.ca/>
Books Received
/ Livres reçus
Coming Events
/ Prochaines Manifestations
Abstracts/Résumés
Does
the Relationship Between Family Structure and Delinquency Vary According
to Circumstances? An Investigation of Interaction Effects
Christopher A. Kierkus and Douglas Baer
Empirical research has shown
that familial disruption is associated with delinquent behavior. Recent
investigations suggest that reduced levels of attachment in non-traditional
families may be responsible for this effect. However, it is not known
if the impact of familial disruption varies according to familial
SES or the gender of the children. Some authors have argued that the
criminogenic influence is greater for boys while others have maintained
that girls are more adversely influenced. Similar contradictory evidence
has been reported with respect to SES. Finally, a substantial number
of studies have shown that the influence of familial disruption is
largely invariant to gender and SES. The goal of this study was to
determine if familial disruption interacts with these two variables.
Multivariate logistic regression was used in the investigation. A
representative sample of Ontario school children was analyzed (n=1,891).
The findings suggest that family structure interacts with SES but
only with respect to one form of delinquent behavior (school truancy).
Only children who come from wealthy non-traditional families are more
likely to be truant. Overall, the relationship between family structure
and delinquency is remarkably similar across circumstances.
Investigating
the Interdependence of Strain and Self-Control
Tracey Peter, Teresa C. LaGrange, and Robert A. Silverman
Self-control and strain perspectives
are widely viewed as independent and contrasting explanations for
crime and delinquency. This paper re-evaluates the competing paradigms
approach by considering the two theories as potentially complementary
in explaining participation in delinquency based on Gottfredson and
Hirschi's (1990) assumption that self-control acts as a barrier to
criminal behaviour. If such a claim is valid, one would hypothesize
that individuals with high self-control would be able to mediate the
effects of strain and refrain from engaging in delinquent activities.
In contrast, adolescents with low self-control may not be equipped
with the necessary constraints to abstain from delinquency and would
therefore exhibit the greatest criminal propensities. A significant
interaction term would support such claims. Data from a sample of
over 2,000 adolescents attending junior and senior high schools in
a Western Canadian city were analyzed to determine the independent
and contextual effects of self-control and strain on involvement in
delinquent behaviour. Results suggest that both self-control and strain
are important contributors to delinquency, but in an additive, and
not interactive way. Such results do not seem to provide support for
claims made by control theorists who would no doubt argue that the
effects of strain should be conditioned by low self-control.
