Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Sociology (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Sociology and Criminology

Advisor/Mentor

Bradley, Mindy

Committee Member

Nino, Michael

Second Committee Member

Engen, Rodney

Keywords

Religion; Crime; Social Control; Self-Control

Abstract

Past research on the relationship between religion and crime has found the two variables have a significant negative correlation. Currently, there are two main mechanisms used to explain this relationship: social control and self-control. Social control theorists argue that participation in religious organizations decreases criminal behaviors by increasing social bonds. Self-control theorists argue that religious norms and values decrease criminal behavior by increasing an individual's self-control. While both mechanisms have been well supported by research, there remains the question of which is the stronger mediator of the religion-crime relationship. This study seeks to answer this question by comparing the effects of religious-based social control and religious-based self-control on violent and nonviolent crime. This was done using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (ADD Health) (Add Health; n=10593). The results indicate that the mechanisms linking religiosity and crime are offense-dependent. While social control and self-control both significantly mediate religiosity’s relationship with violent and nonviolent crime, the strength of this mediation differs. For nonviolent crime, social control is a stronger mediator. For violent crime, self-control is the stronger mediator. These findings support the idea that violent and nonviolent criminal behaviors are formed through two similar, but distinct, development processes.

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