Date of Graduation
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts in Criminology
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Sociology and Criminal Justice
Advisor/Mentor
Nino, Michael
Committee Member
McCoy, Michael
Second Committee Member
Geisler Wheeler, Jill
Third Committee Member
Norton-Smith, Kathryn
Abstract
This study explores the relationship between geographic area and juvenile delinquency, with particular attention to how this relationship varies across the following settings: large metropolitan areas, small metropolitan areas, and rural areas. Using nationally representative data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the analysis focuses on youth under the age of 18 and incorporates additional social factors such as parental involvement, gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity. Results from my negative binomial regression models demonstrate that geographic area did not play significant role in delinquency overall. Income showed notable variation by geographic setting: in rural areas, even modest increases in household income were associated with significantly lower delinquency, while no such pattern was observed in large or small metropolitan areas. Findings indicate that higher levels of parental involvement are consistently associated with lower rates of juvenile delinquency across all geographic areas. Gender also played a significant role, with female youth less likely to report engaging in delinquent behavior, particularly in large metro and rural areas. These findings suggest that while some protective factors, like parental involvement, are universally effective, the impact of structural factors like income may be more context-specific. As a result, prevention strategies should consider both the social and geographic contexts in which youth live to more effectively address and reduce juvenile delinquency.
Keywords
geographic area; juvenile delinquency; large metropolitan areas; small metropolitan areas; rural areas; parental involvement; gender; grade level; race/ethnicity; household income; urban; rural; poverty; crime rates; juvenile justice system; delinquency prevention.
Citation
Remy, S. G. (2025). The Role of Geographic Area on Juvenile Delinquency: Evidence from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/sociuht/17
Included in
Criminology Commons, Juvenile Law Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons
