NCJ Number
148423
Journal
Deviant Behavior Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (April-June 1993) Pages: 109-132
Date Published
1993
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study investigated whether the dependent variables of economic marginality and unstable family structure influence a community's dropout and delinquency rates.
Abstract
The setting for the study was a large urban area in Arizona, characterized by high rates of poverty and segregation. Census tract information was recoded to fit the zip code areas, making the zip code the unit of analysis. The multivariate analyses employed here showed that measures of economic deprivation, rather than family deprivation factors, were the strongest predictors of delinquency rates. Two-thirds of the variance was attributable to poverty and male unemployment; other predictors were single motherhood and female employment, while public assistance had an inverse relationship. While dropout rates were not correlated with delinquency rates, socioeconomic characteristics were strong predictors of dropout levels. 6 tables, 2 figures, and 65 references