Juvenile delinquency is a concerning issue in society as it can have negative impacts on individuals, families, and the broader community. Understanding the correlates of such behavior is crucial for developing effective strategies to reduce its prevalence. One theoretical framework that may aid in understanding youth deviance is Agnew’s General Theory of Crime, which emphasizes the central life domains of individuals and their influence on deviance. This research offers a partial test of Agnew’s theory to explain deviance among a sample of 1,300 juveniles from Albania. The findings indicate that key theoretical constructs related to Agnew’s life domains (self, family, peers, school, and community) effectively predict delinquency. Specific findings, theoretical implications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Plain Language Summary
Testing the Effects of Life Domains on Deviant Behaviors Among Albanian Youth
This study aimed to determine the effect of a variety of life domain (self, family, peer, school, and community) variables on juvenile delinquency. The study used data from 1,300 adolescents from Albania. Self-report data were collected using the Communities That Care Youth Survey. Results indicated that variables from each life domain were influential in explaining general deviance among Albanian youth, although some factors (e.g., self-control) mattered more than others (e.g., community attachment). Accordingly, our findings imply that crime prevention efforts should be multifaceted, start early in life, and are most effective when focusing on all five life domains.
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