Latent classes of delinquent behaviour associated with criminal social identity among juvenile offenders in Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose: The current study aimed to examine the number and nature of latent classes of delinquency that exist among male juvenile offenders incarcerated in prisons in Pakistan. Methodology:The sample consisted of 415 young male offenders incarcerated in prisons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Pakistan. Latent class analysis was employed to determine the number and nature of delinquency latent classes. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between latent classes and the three factors of Criminal Social Identity (Cognitive centrality, In-group affect, and In-group ties) whilst controlling for criminal friends, period of confinement, addiction, age, and location. Findings:The best fitting latent class model was a three-class solution. The classes were labelled: 'minor delinquents'(the baseline/normative class; class 3), 'major delinquents'(class 1), and 'moderate delinquents' (class 2). Class membership was predicted by differing external variables. Specifically, class 1 membership was related to having more criminal friends; while class 2 membership was related to lower levels of in-group affect and higher levels of in-group ties. Practical implications:Findings are discussed in relation to refining current taxonomic arguments regarding the structure of delinquency and implications for prevention of juvenile delinquent behaviour.Originality: First, most previous studies have focused on school children, whereas, this paper focuses on incarcerated juvenile offenders. Second, this research includes delinquents from Pakistan, whereas, most previous research has examined delinquent behaviour in western cultures.

Motivations for adolescent offending and truancy from school: retrospective interviews with adults recently released from a custodial prison sentence in England

“…With regard to the type of offence committed, adolescents who committed robberies (40.3%) and fraud (39.4%) were those most likely to reoffend. Similar gradual upward trends in juvenile delinquency, offending and recidivism rates are also observed elsewhere in the world, including throughout North America ( Drury et al., 2020 ; Snyder, 2005 ), South East Asia ( Shagufta et al., 2015 ; Sherretts and Willmott, 2016 ) and Eastern Europe ( Debowska et al., 2015 ; Rode, 2014 ). Together, these figures highlight a growing issue faced by the criminal justice system in reducing juvenile delinquency and adolscent offending.…”

Construct validity and dimensionality of the measure of criminal social identity using data drawn from American, Pakistani, and Polish inmates

“…The formation of CSI, according to Boduszek and Hyland (2011), “increases the likelihood of the development of criminal thinking styles and subsequently an increased possibility of engagement in criminal behaviour” (p. 316). Furthermore, CSI salience is a strong determinant of criminal thinking styles and engagement in a variety of criminal conduct (Boduszek et al , 2012a, b, c, d, 2013b, c, d, 2014, 2016a, b; Bourke et al , 2013; Shagufta et al , 2015a, b, 2016; Sherretts et al , 2016).…”

Polish Psychological Bulletin

“…While most studies consider the correlates of CSI as negative factors, one study considers how CSI can act as a protective factor against harmful behaviours. Using SEM, Shagufta, Boduszek, Dhingra, & Palmer (2015b) identified a significant negative relationship between suicidal thoughts and in-group ties, indicating that having a strong emotional connection to other offenders serves as a protective factor against suicide ideation.…”