Article
Religiosity and Crime Revisited: Accounting for Non-Believers
Deviant Behavior
(2017)
Abstract
Research generally shows a negative relationship between religiosity and specific forms of offending. In the current study, we advance an alternative conceptualization of the relationship between religiosity and offending that accounts for the unique nature of religious non-belief. Drawing from social identity theory, we contend that criminological theorizing of the relationship should move beyond social control theory postulations and account for the unique experiences of non-believers. Using data from the College Religious Belief and Empathy Survey, findings reveal that atheists and agnostics offend at a rate similar to committed religious believers. Implications for the religiosity and crime relationship are discussed.
Disciplines
Publication Date
February 17, 2017
DOI
10.1080/01639625.2017.1286183
Publisher Statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Online in Deviant Behavior on [17 February 2017], available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01639625.2017.1286183.
Citation Information
Ryan Schroeder, Erinn Broadus and Christopher Bradley. "Religiosity and Crime Revisited: Accounting for Non-Believers" Deviant Behavior Vol. 39 Iss. 5 (2017) p. 632 - 647 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/ryan-schroeder/6/