| In recent years, criminologists have become more aware of the importance of life-course transitions in the etiology of delinquent and criminal behavior, including its onset, persistence, and desistance. At the same time, a complementary fine of research has begun paying more attention to adult criminal behavior and the salience of life-course transitions that are unique to adulthood. For example, work drawing from control theory has posited that adult social bonds, such as marriage, may be a primary factor in explaining the "aging out" of young adults from criminal behavior. What we think is missing from the existing literature is attention to social context. As a first step, we intend to explore the extent to which one's residence in a rural versus an urban area may attenuate the relationship between adult social bonds and one type of adult criminal behavior: marijuana use. The sample of respondents on which we base our analyses is drawn primarily from Wave 7 of the National Youth Survey (N= 11,725 21-27 year-olds). |
Updated 05/20/2006