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Delinquency in context; neighbourhood and gender interactions among adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2011

Marjan Drukker*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht (The Netherlands) Youth Health Care Division, Public Health Service South Limburg, Geleen, (The Netherlands
Charles D Kaplan
Affiliation:
Center for Drug and Social Policy Research, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Houston, Houston Texas (USA)
Frans J. M. Feron
Affiliation:
Youth Health Care Division, Public Health Service South Limburg, Geleen, (The Netherlands Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht (The Netherlands)
Jim Van Os
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht (The Netherlands) Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London (United Kingdom)
Andries Korebrits
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, Maastricht University Hospital, Maastricht (The Netherlands) Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Faculty of Law, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen (The Netherlands) St Joseph Foundation, Institute for Juvenile Justice, Cadier en Keer (The Netherlands)
*
Address for correspondence: Dr. M. Drukker, Department of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, PO BOX 616 (location Vijverdal), 6200 MD Maastricht (The Netherlands). Fax: +31-43-3688689 E-mail: [email protected]

Summary

Aim – Delinquency among adolescents and antecedent conduct disorder among children has been recognized as a growing public mental health problem in contemporary societies. The contribution of the neighbourhood environment to delinquent behaviour was examined in a cohort of Dutch adolescents (aged approximately 11 years at baseline; n=394). Methods – Multilevel regression analyses estimated associations between baseline neighbourhood socioeconomic status and social capital, and delinquent behaviour two years later controlling for individual-level variables. Results – A significant interaction effect was found between neighbourhood environment variables and gender in models of delinquency, indicating that associations between neighbourhood environment variables and delinquency were apparent, for the most part, in girls only. However, higher level of neighbourhood informal social control was associated with increased delinquency rates in boys. Conclusion – In girls there is a longitudinal association between neighbourhood characteristics and delinquency, suggesting complex gender differences in the way the wider social environment impacts on behavioural outcomes.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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