{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/141155"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/141155","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"An Examination of Household Chaos and Neighborhood Collective Efficacy on Adolescents’ Legal Cynicism and Delinquency","abstract":"The purpose of this project is to examine how household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy influence fifteen-year-old teens’ legal cynicism and delinquent behavior. This research utilizes the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to conduct a path analysis. The theoretical framework for this project draws from social disorganization theory and ecological systems theory. This study longitudinally explores household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy at year nine and legal cynicism and delinquent behavior at year fifteen to examine this relationship. Methodologically, the variables are examined using a path model and multivariate analyses. The results show that household chaos at year nine is a positive predictor for delinquency at year fifteen. There was no statistically significant association between neighborhood collective efficacy and the outcomes. The findings also point to the importance of maternal resources and structured socialization for children in adolescent outcomes. Implications for future research are also discussed.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this project is to examine how household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy influence fifteen-year-old teens’ legal cynicism and delinquent behavior. This research utilizes the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to conduct a path analysis. The theoretical framework for this project draws from social disorganization theory and ecological systems theory. This study longitudinally explores household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy at year nine and legal cynicism and delinquent behavior at year fifteen to examine this relationship. Methodologically, the variables are examined using a path model and multivariate analyses. The results show that household chaos at year nine is a positive predictor for delinquency at year fifteen. There was no statistically significant association between neighborhood collective efficacy and the outcomes. The findings also point to the importance of maternal resources and structured socialization for children in adolescent outcomes. Implications for future research are also discussed.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Simmons, Amelia F."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":"Sociology","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Hawdon, James E."],"committee_members":["Williams, Heidi M.","Dearden, Thomas E."],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-10-10","date_published":"2025-10-10","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:56:14Z","subjects":["social disorganization","collective efficacy","chaos","delinquency","legal cynicism"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/141155","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Hawdon, James E."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Williams, Heidi M.","Dearden, Thomas E."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Simmons, Amelia F."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-02-04T20:22:53Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-02-04T20:22:53Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-10-10"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["social disorganization","collective efficacy","chaos","delinquency","legal cynicism"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/141155"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this project is to examine how household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy influence fifteen-year-old teens’ legal cynicism and delinquent behavior. This research utilizes the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to conduct a path analysis. The theoretical framework for this project draws from social disorganization theory and ecological systems theory. This study longitudinally explores household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy at year nine and legal cynicism and delinquent behavior at year fifteen to examine this relationship. Methodologically, the variables are examined using a path model and multivariate analyses. The results show that household chaos at year nine is a positive predictor for delinquency at year fifteen. There was no statistically significant association between neighborhood collective efficacy and the outcomes. The findings also point to the importance of maternal resources and structured socialization for children in adolescent outcomes. Implications for future research are also discussed."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Environmental and neighborhood conditions have often been studied in relation to crime. This project quantitatively looks at data previously collected in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Social disorganization theory and ecological systems theory provide the theoretical background for this project. This study analyzes chaos in the household and neighborhood organization and trust in childhood and how these contexts may influence delinquent behavior and cynicism toward the legal system in adolescence. A basic path model is used to examine this relationship. The findings of this study show that household chaos in childhood does influence both delinquent behavior and legal cynicism in adolescence. The model does not support any influence from neighborhood collective efficacy. The results also display that the resources of the child’s mother and the parent-child bond can impact delinquency and legal cynicism as a teenager. Directions for future research to study these dynamics are discussed."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Examination of Household Chaos and Neighborhood Collective Efficacy on Adolescents’ Legal Cynicism and Delinquency"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Hawdon, James E."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Williams, Heidi M.","Dearden, Thomas E."],"dc:contributor.department":["Sociology"],"dc:creator":["Simmons, Amelia F."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-02-04T20:22:53Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-02-04T20:22:53Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-10-10"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this project is to examine how household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy influence fifteen-year-old teens’ legal cynicism and delinquent behavior. This research utilizes the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to conduct a path analysis. The theoretical framework for this project draws from social disorganization theory and ecological systems theory. This study longitudinally explores household chaos and neighborhood collective efficacy at year nine and legal cynicism and delinquent behavior at year fifteen to examine this relationship. Methodologically, the variables are examined using a path model and multivariate analyses. The results show that household chaos at year nine is a positive predictor for delinquency at year fifteen. There was no statistically significant association between neighborhood collective efficacy and the outcomes. The findings also point to the importance of maternal resources and structured socialization for children in adolescent outcomes. Implications for future research are also discussed."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Environmental and neighborhood conditions have often been studied in relation to crime. This project quantitatively looks at data previously collected in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Social disorganization theory and ecological systems theory provide the theoretical background for this project. This study analyzes chaos in the household and neighborhood organization and trust in childhood and how these contexts may influence delinquent behavior and cynicism toward the legal system in adolescence. A basic path model is used to examine this relationship. The findings of this study show that household chaos in childhood does influence both delinquent behavior and legal cynicism in adolescence. The model does not support any influence from neighborhood collective efficacy. The results also display that the resources of the child’s mother and the parent-child bond can impact delinquency and legal cynicism as a teenager. Directions for future research to study these dynamics are discussed."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/141155"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["social disorganization","collective efficacy","chaos","delinquency","legal cynicism"],"dc:title":["An Examination of Household Chaos and Neighborhood Collective Efficacy on Adolescents’ Legal Cynicism and Delinquency"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sociology"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:56:14Z"}