Citation

Boehnke K, Hagan J, Merkens H. Appl. Psychol. 1998; 47(1): 109-126.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, International Association of Applied Psychology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1464-0597.1998.tb00016.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The study provides empirical evidence on risks for and protective factors against juvenile delinquency and right‐wing extremism among German youth from East and West Berlin. Drawing on social capital theory (Coleman) and the person‐by‐context approach to socialisation (Elder) a model is forwarded that sees pro‐delinquent leisure activities as the primary risk factor for delinquency and right‐wing extremism. Anomie during societal crises is seen as secondary risk factor. School success and parental monitoring are conceptualised as protective factors against delinquency and right‐wing extremism in that they reduce adolescent participation in pro‐delinquent peer activities. The model is tested in a socially heterogeneous panel of seventh to tenth graders from both parts of Berlin (N = 590) surveyed in 1992 and 1993. Results, in general, show the postulated effects. Anomie, however, also has a directly increasing influence on right‐wing extremism. Contrary to our assumptions, parental monitoring did not emerge as a protective factor.