A randomized trial testing deviant modeling, peer gender, and theft: replication and extension

This study was funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.Objectives: Replicate previous experimental findings on the causal effect of deviant peer modeling and assess whether the gender of peer models is an important determinant of theft. Methods: A randomized control trial (n=329 university students) in which participants were randomly placed into one of four deviant peer modeling groups (control, verbal prompting, behavioral modeling, verbal prompting plus behavioral modeling) and one of three confederate gender similarity groups (same gender, different gender, mixed gender) (4x3 factorial design, equal randomization). The outcome was theft of a gift card. Each session included two confederates and a single participant. This feature reduced measurement error over more common approaches where groups of participants take part in the study at the same time and in which uncontrolled interactions and/or threshold effects may act as confounders. Results: Participants were more likely to steal when exposed to confederates who behaviorally modeled theft (15.1% stole) or offered verbal support for theft and modeled it (11.1%) compared to controls (2.5%) or when confederates only talked about stealing (1.2%) (p=.001). Participants exposed to same gender peers (7.3%) were as likely to steal as those exposed to different gender peers (5.5%) or mixed gender peers (9.9%) (p=.464). Conclusions: Behavioral modeling was found to be an important determinant of theft. This replicated previous research in the area and offers arguably the strongest support to date for the influence of deviant peer modeling. Peer gender, however, was not found to be an important etiological component of theft. External validity is a limitation.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canad

Occupation, poverty and mental health improvement in Ghana

AbstractThis study examines the relationship between a number of socioeconomic indicators (asset ownership, assets purchased, change in income, food shortage, kept job after illness) and two outcomes: improvement in mental illness and stability of mental illness. A sample of urban and rural Ghanaians reporting a mental illness (n=400) was used. This focus on changes in mental illness differs from much previous work that examines mental illness status (i.e., whether or not a person has a mental illness). It was found that maintaining employment after the onset of illness was associated with both mental illness improvement and stability. Income increases were related to stability of mental illness only. Asset and food shortage measures were not found to be significant correlates of mental illness improvement or stability. This study indicates that measures taken to protect jobs and social status after the onset of mental illness symptoms are likely to facilitate improvements in mental health

An experimental test of deviant modeling

Objectives: Test the effect of deviant peer modeling on theft as conditioned by verbal support for theft and number of deviant models. Methods: Two related randomized experiments in which participants were given a chance to steal a gift card (ostensibly worth $15) from the table in front of them. Each experiment had a control group, a verbal prompting group in which confederate(s) endorsed stealing, a behavioral modeling group in which confederate(s) committed theft, and a verbal prompting plus behavioral modeling group in which confederate(s) did both. The first experiment used one confederate; the second experiment used two. The pooled sample consisted of 335 undergraduate students. Results: Participants in the verbal prompting plus behavioral modeling group were most likely to steal followed by the behavioral modeling group. Interestingly, behavioral modeling was only influential when two confederates were present. There were no thefts in either the control or verbal prompting groups regardless of the number of confederates. Conclusions: Behavioral modeling appears to be the key mechanism, though verbal support can strengthen the effect of behavioral modeling.UW/SSHRC Seed Gran

The symbolic benefits of delinquency for adolescents

The symbolism associated with delinquency can be very powerful. By engaging in delinquent behaviour, adolescents may be able to improve their social status by sending the message to their peers that they have highly valued characteristics such as bravery/nerve. I seek to expand our understanding of how the symbolism of delinquency contributes to the motivation for adolescent delinquent behaviour by presenting three studies that address various aspects of this relationship. These studies expand on prior research by integrating network analysis with situational analysis and by examining the criminogenic importance of differential association and symbolic interactionist perspectives within a network analysis framework. Overall, the studies show that delinquent motivation is often a product of a desire to enhance/maintain social status since delinquency symbolises valued characteristics. But only minor forms of delinquency (substance use) are found to benefit social status; more serious forms (violence) are detrimental. These symbolic incentives are particularly powerful when a) situation-specific supports for delinquency are most evident, and b) when the individual risks losing access to benefits from a delinquent peer group. It is clear that having an optimal position within the network is more important to adolescents than other forms of benefits

Elusive Employment: Understanding the Role of Disability and Rehabilitation in Post-conflict El Salvador

In the developing world, persons with disabilities tend to be concentrated in the poorest segments of society, in which they have limited access to education, training, and employment. When they do work, this is generally at a lower level than their true potential, and in temporary or unstable markets. In El Salvador, poor skill development, lack of awareness and neglect have further marginalized those with disabilities from contributing to the economic welfare of their families and communities.Using two pilot communities in El Salvador, this investigation highlights how the economic needs and challenges of persons with disabilities differ within rural and urban settings. Among individuals with disabilities residing in urban areas, discrimination and inaccessibility prevail as challenges in attaining employment, whereas a lack of training and skills is more commonly noted as a barrier to employment among respondents from rural areas.Although the economic barriers faced by persons with disabilities vary widely between communities, these differences have not been addressed by current rehabilitation models. This research provides guidance to local Salvadoran agencies in the development and implementation of needs-based rehabilitation programming at the community level.Dans les pays en voie de développement, les personnes handicapées tendent à se concentrer dans les tranches les plus pauvres de la société, où elles ont un accès limité à l’éducation, à la formation et à l’emploi. Lorsqu’elles travaillent, elles réalisent des tâches ne mobilisant pas leurs aptitudes réelles, et ce, dans des marchés de l’emploi temporaires ou instables. En El Salvador, le faible niveau du développement des compétences, le manque de connaissances et la négligence dont les personnes handicapées font l’objet ont contribué à les marginaliser davantage et à les empêcher de contribuer au bien-être de leurs familles et de leurs communautés.Au moyen de la comparaison de deux communautés pilotes salvadoriennes, la présente recherche soulignera les différences entre les besoins économiques et les défis que doivent affronter les personnes handicapées selon qu’elles habitent dans un contexte urbain ou rural : celles vivant dans un milieu urbain ont identifié l’inaccessibilité et les discriminations comme facteurs limitant leur accès à un emploi, tandis que celles vivant dans un milieu rural ont signalé le manque de formation et de compétences.Malgré le fait que les barrières économiques rencontrées par les personnes handicapées soient différentes selon leur lieu de résidence, les modèles de réadaptation actuels ne tiennent pas compte de cette réalité. Cette recherche a pour objectif d’orienter les agences locales salvadoriennes dans le développement et la mise en place de programmes locaux de réadaptation axés sur les besoins des personnes handicapées

Selection and Influence: A Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Peer and Personal Offending

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-018-9384-yObjectives Whether people are affected by the criminal behavior of peers (the “influence” perspective) or simply prefer to associate with others who are similar in their offending (the “selection” perspective) is a long-standing criminological debate. The relatively recent development of stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs—also called SIENA models) for longitudinal social network data has allowed for the examination of selection and influence effects in more comprehensive ways than was previously possible. This article reports the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that use SAOMs to test for peer selection and influence effects. Methods A systematic review and 3-level random effects meta-analysis of studies that have used SAOMs to test selection and influence dynamics for offending behavior. Results There is support for both influence (mean log odds ratio = 1.23, p < 0.01, 21 effects, pooled n = 21,193) and selection dynamics (mean log odds ratio = 0.31, p < 0.01, 28 effects, pooled n = 21,269). Type of behavior, country, and the year of the first wave of data collection are found to moderate the influence effect; no significant moderation effects are found for peer selection on offending. Conclusions People are both influenced by the offending of their peers and select into friendships based on similarity in offending

Personal support networks, social capital, and risk of relapse among individuals treated for substance use issues

Background: The success of treatment for substance use issues varies with personal and social factors, including the composition and structure of the individual\u2019s personal support network. This paper describes the personal support networks and social capital of a sample of Italian adults after long-term residential therapeutic treatment for substance use issues, and analyses network correlates of posttreatment substance use (relapse). Methods: Using a social network analysis approach, data were obtained from structured interviews (90\u2013 120 min long) with 80 former clients of a large non-governmental therapeutic treatment agency in Italy providing voluntary residential treatments and rehabilitation services for substance use issues. Participants had concluded the program at least six months prior. Data were collected on sociodemographic variables, addiction history, current drug use status (drug-free or relapsed), and the composition and structure of personal support networks. Factors related to risk of relapse were assessed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: A main goal of this study was to identify differences between the support network profiles of drug free and relapsed participants. Drug free participants had larger, less dense, more heterogeneous and reciprocal support networks, and more brokerage social capital than relapsed participants. Additionally, a lower risk of relapse was associated with higher socio-economic status, being married/ cohabiting, and having network members with higher socio-economic status, who have greater occupational heterogeneity, and reciprocate support. Conclusions: Post-treatment relapse was found to be negatively associated with the socioeconomic status and occupational heterogeneity of ego\u2019s support network, reciprocity in the ties between ego and network members, and a support network in which the members are relatively loosely connected with one another (i.e., ego possesses \u2018\u2018brokerage social capital\u2019\u2019). These findings suggest the incorporation into therapeutic programming of interventions that address those aspects of clients\u2019 personal support networks

Deviant peer preferences: A simplified approach to account for peer selection effects

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Deviant Behavior on 28 March 2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01639625.2019.1597321.The goal of this study is to present and validate a simple method for accounting for peer selection on offending based on a respondent’s self-reported preferences for friends who engage in criminal behavior. Using primary panel data (n=611), having a preference for peers who offend (the measure of peer selection) relates positively and significantly to offending behavior. The selection measure, which carries the advantage of being closely aligned to criminological theory, renders the peer offending / personal offending relationship nonsignificant. Our selection variables also outperform a more traditional means of capturing peer selection effects