Research indicates that school engagement (SE) and delinquency affect one another and share numerous common causes; however, little literature exists regarding the temporal nature of this relationship. Using the data set from the Children and Young Adult Sample of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the proposed study will estimate the reciprocal effects of SE and delinquency across time using latent variable structural equation modeling. Specifically, social bonding theory (Hirschi, 2002), strain theory (Agnew, 1992), and the participation-identification model of SE (Finn, 1989), will be drawn upon to create and analyze a cross-lagged panel model. Additionally, this study will identify ages during which school disengagement is most likely to result in participation in delinquent activities. / text

Cannabis use is illegal according to swedish drugpolicy. Self-reported data shows that cannabis is the most common drug used by adolescents in Sweden. Among results from previous studies several findings indicate a strong correlation between cannabis use during adolscence and failure in school, poor parental ties and criminal behaviour. This study used a school-based sample of adolescents in Stockholm. The main focus of this study was to examine if social factors linked to Hirschi's social bonding theory affect if adolescents used cannabis. Results from a logistic regression analysis partly supported Hirschi's theory. The results suggested that cigarettesmoking and alcohol intoxication are the two strongest factors which affect if adolescents use cannabis. Findings also indicated that young cannabis users tend to have friends who use illegal drugs. / Att bruka cannabis är illegalt enligt svensk narkotikapolitik. Självrapporterad data visar att cannabis är det mest vanliga narkotikaklassade preparatet som används bland ungdomar i Sverige. Av tidigare studier indikerar resultat att det finns ett samband mellan cannabisbruk i ungdomen och misslyckand i skolan, svag anknytning till föräldrar och brottsligt beteende. Denna studie använde ett skolbaserat urval av ungdomar i Stockholms stad. Huvudfokus i studien var att undersöka om faktorer, kopplade till Hirschis sociala bandteori, påverkar om ungdomar använder cannabis. Resultat från en logistisk regressionsanalys gav delvis stöd åt Hirschis teori. Resultaten indikerar att rökning av tobak och berusningsdrickande är de faktorer som mest påverkar att ungdomar använder cannabis. Resultaten indikerar också på att unga som använt cannabis tenderar att ha vänner som använder illegala narkotiska preparat.

Marijuana is the most prevalent illicit drug used in the world and among Turkish juveniles. Although studies have examined marijuana use among Turkish juveniles, none has tested Hirschi's social bonding theory, one of the most frequently tested and applied criminological theories in the United States and other Western and developed countries. This study investigated the empirical validity and generalizability of Hirschi's theory to juveniles' marijuana use in Turkey, a non-Western and developing country. Data on 2,740 Turkish tenth grade students from the 2006 Youth in Europe survey were used. Results from binary logistic regression analyses were generally consistent with the propositions of Hirschi's theory and the findings of previous empirical studies. Regarding the attachment component of the theory, Turkish juveniles who lived in two-parent families and those who were closely monitored by their parents were less likely to have tried marijuana. In addition, teens who were strongly attached to their school and religion were also less likely to have used the drug. As for the commitment component, language grade was negatively associated with marijuana use. None of the involvement items had significant effects on marijuana use in the predicted direction. Participation in club sports had a positive effect on marijuana use. Belief items, such as acceptance of societal norms, values, and rules, had the predicted inhibiting effects on teens' marijuana use. Of the six sociodemographic/controls included in the analyses, only gender had a significant effect; male students were more likely to have tried marijuana than the female peers. Policy implications of the results for adolescents, parents, and schools are discussed.