PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

This Working Paper focusses on the relationship of crime and social inequalities by applying Situational Action Theory (Wikström 2006, 2009, Wikström et al. 2012) for the explanation of delinquent behavior of adolescents. Situational Action Theory combines individual and contextual constructs into an integrative explanatory framework. In its basic assumptions, Situational Action Theory states that deviant and delinquent behavior is controlled by moral values. The probability of a criminal act to be committed depends on the criminal tendency (propensity) of a person and their exposure to criminogenic conditions (exposure). Criminal acts are the result of a perception-choice-process, which can be explained by the interaction of a person‟s criminal propensity and the criminogenic conditions of the environment. Social inequalities are rather causes of criminal behavior but causes of the causes. Social inequalities affect the emergence of criminal propensity and criminal exposure of individuals. This relationship of crime and social inequalities in context of Situational Action Theory will be empirically tested by applying structural equation modeling and testing for indirect effects of several heterogeneity features.