Unbalanced Institutional Commitments and Delinquent Behavior: An Individual-Level Assessment of Institutional Anomie Theory
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
Published online on March 15, 2013
Abstract
Institutional anomie theory (IAT) argues that crime results from a value complex that elevates the economy over other institutions. Though most assessments of IAT have been conducted at the macro level, the key relationships can also be evaluated among individuals. Using a national survey of high school seniors, we examine whether violence, theft, and substance use are related to individual commitments to economic and noneconomic institutions. Results show that adherence to economic values is positively related to certain forms of delinquency and that commitments to noneconomic institutions reduce delinquent behavior. Moreover, commitment to noneconomic institutions often reduces the effect of economic commitment on delinquency.