An Examination of Household Chaos and Neighborhood Collective Efficacy on Adolescents’ Legal Cynicism and Delinquency

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to examine how household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy influence fifteen-year-old teens’ legal cynicism and delinquent behavior. This research utilizes the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to conduct a path analysis. The theoretical framework for this project draws from social disorganization theory and ecological systems theory. This study longitudinally explores household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy at year nine and legal cynicism and delinquent behavior at year fifteen to examine this relationship. Methodologically, the variables are examined using a path model and multivariate analyses. The results show that household chaos at year nine is a positive predictor for delinquency at year fifteen. There was no statistically significant association between neighborhood collective efficacy and the outcomes. The findings also point to the importance of maternal resources and structured socialization for children in adolescent outcomes. Implications for future research are also discussed.