Citation

Weijters G, Scheepers P, Gerris J. Eur. J. Criminol. 2009; 6(5): 439-455.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, European Society of Criminology, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1477370809337883

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Previous research has not yet integrated determinants of youth delinquency at the city, neighbourhood and individual levels simultaneously. In this study we derived hypotheses from social disorganization theory at the city level as well as at the neighbourhood level. We use individual-level data from 11 cities in the Netherlands, supplemented with information about the structural characteristics of these cities and their neighbourhoods. Our results show that concentrated contextual disadvantage at both city and neighbourhood levels affects juvenile delinquency. More detailed analyses demonstrate that it is particularly the percentage of one-parent families that has a significant effect on youth delinquency. The implications for the study of the influence of ecological contexts on youth delinquency are discussed.