Mediators between Victimization and Offending among Young Men in the Context of General Strain Theory

ABSTRACT

The relationship between victimization and offending is complex.

Purpose: This paper simultaneously examines the trajectory of individual, family and neighborhood factors related to victimization and offending. Applying general strain theory, this study posits that victimized youth with little parental monitoring, have a lower sense of self-control and diminish feelings of guilt. In turn, the study hypothesizes that youth with low guilt is more likely to offend if they previously offended.

Methods: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted using Wave 1 and Wave 2 data from 625 young males from the Buffalo Longitudinal Study of Young Men (BLSYM).

Results: Direct victimization is associated with guilt through a mediated relationship involving past offending. Furthermore, past offending and subsequent offending are mediated by guilt, independent of the weak effect of psychological distress.

Discussion: Examining the relationship between victimization, psychological distress, and guilt in predicting trajectories from victimization to offending warrants further attention.

KEYWORDS:

• Black males
• offending
• Strain theory
• victimization

Research Support

The original BLSYM was supported by a five-year grant (#R01 AA08157) through the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Zhang et al., 2001).

Conflict of interest

None.