Abstract

Reasons not to commit crimes

Dr. Roger Tweed, Dr. Gira Bhatt, Stephen Dooley, and Andrea Spindler

This study examined individual differences in conscious reasons to not commit crimes. This approach combines elements of rational choice theory and social control theory. Consistent with rational choice theory, this study examines perceived payoff of choices related to crime. Consistent with social control theory, this study focused on constraints on criminal behaviour. Few prior studies have combined these elements and no study to our knowledge has sought to develop a tool to assess individual differences in reasons not to commit crimes. For this initial exploration, the research examined reasons not to commit crimes among youth who were mostly not involved in serious criminal behaviour. Thus, the research began with a study using open-ended questions asking university students to list their reasons not to commit crimes. Next, a questionnaire was constructed that included at least four rating scale items representing each major construct that emerged in the free listed responses. Next, this rating scale was administered to 395 students and component analyzed to identify the underlying constructs. Most of the hypothesized factors emerged in the oblimin rotated principal component analysis. Next, this questionnaire will be administered to a more diverse and younger sample to assess generalizability of the constructs.

Tweed, R., Bhatt, G., Dooley, S., & Spindler, A. (2010, November). Reasons to not commit crimes. Poster presentation at the meeting of American Society of Criminology, San Francisco, CA, USA.