Sociocultural Influences on the Explanation of Delinquency for Puerto Rican Youths

The present study examines the contributions of sociocultural context to delinquency theory to explain drug use and nondrug delinquency among Puerto Rican male adolescents in New York City. By integrating variables (familism and acculturation) that reflect the unique sociocultural processes in Puert...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hispanic journal of behavioral sciences 1993-02, Vol.15 (1), p.36-62
Main Authors: Sommers, Ira, Fagan, Jeffrey, Baskin, Deborah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acculturation
Adolescents
Boys
Cultural Context
Culture
Delinquency
Drug Use
Family Influence
Family Relationship
Hispanic Americans
Illegal Drug Use
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile Offenders
Males
New York (Bronx)
New York City, New York
Puerto Ricans
Puerto Rico
Social life & customs
Social research
Sociocultural Factors
Sociocultural Patterns
Student Participation
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Summary:The present study examines the contributions of sociocultural context to delinquency theory to explain drug use and nondrug delinquency among Puerto Rican male adolescents in New York City. By integrating variables (familism and acculturation) that reflect the unique sociocultural processes in Puerto Rican communities with measures of social control and social learning theories, the direct effects of these socialization processes are analyzed to determine factors that contribute to delinquency or its avoidance. The results suggest that the specific cultural context of ethnic groups may be necessary to explain participation in delinquent behavior. Familism, a measure of individuals' expressed concern over family values rather than individual opportunities, was a consistent and direct contributor to the avoidance of deviance. This finding suggests that, in addition to respect and affection (family attachment), familial values, such as duty and obligation, are relevant to the cultural situation of adolescents. Acculturation was positively associated with participation in interpersonal violence and theft, but lower acculturation was related to participation in illicit drug use.
ISSN:0739-9863
1552-6364
DOI:10.1177/07399863930151002