NCJ Number
86034
Journal
Sociology and Social Research Volume: 67 Issue: 1 Dated: (October 1982) Pages: 18-39
Date Published
1982
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The major focus of the recent deterrence literature is the specification of the conditions under which the perceived risk of legal punishment plays a role in preventing criminal behavior. Characteristics of (a) proscriptive norms, (b) individual offenders, and (c) behavioral acts have been examined in an attempt to discover those contingent variables which may differentially affect the deterrence relationship.
Abstract
In keeping with this search for conditional deterrent relationships, the present study examines a national sample of 1,395 youth to determine whether delinquent peer associations affect the strength of the relation between perceived risk (certainty) of punishment and self-reported delinquency. A stronger deterrent effect is found among both (1) those delinquent acts which are more often committed in groups and (2) those individuals who have many delinquent friends. (Author abstract)