Youth Involvement in Crime : The Importance of Locus of Control and Collective Efficacy

Ahlin uses data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods to examine the independent relationships between locus of control and collective efficacy and youth involvement in crime. She also explores the moderating effect of collective efficacy on the relationship between locus of control and crime. Findings suggest that increased locus of control inhibits criminal activity among youth, while collective efficacy does not influence individual-level criminal behavior. However, collective efficacy completely moderates the relationship between locus of control and crime; nullifying the influence of locus of control on crime. Her results suggest that while locus of control influences criminal behavior, neighborhood influences are not essential to understanding individual level involvement in crime.