Disorder, Dissatisfaction with the Neighborhood, and Delinquency

Abstract

This study examines the association between neighborhood dissatisfaction and

adolescent delinquency. The objectives of this project are to determine (1) whether

neighborhood disorder is related to delinquency among adolescents (2) whether

adolescents who report increased levels of neighborhood dissatisfaction are relatively

more involved in delinquency than their peers, (3) if neighborhood dissatisfaction is

especially related to two types of delinquency implicated by strain theory, violence

and substance abuse, and (4) if neighborhood dissatisfaction weakens any of the

association between neighborhood disorder and crime. Applying stepwise logistical

regression, I find little support for the association between disorder and adolescent

offending and no association between neighborhood dissatisfaction with either

violence or substance abuse when compared to the likelihood of engaging in

instrumental crime. These findings raise questions regarding the relationship between

disorder and individual levels of delinquency as well as the relationship between

disorder and neighborhood dissatisfaction among adolescents.