EXAMINING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AMONG KURDISH ADOLESCENTS IN SOUTHESTERN TURKEY: A TEST OF HIRSCHI’S SOCIAL BONDING THEORY
HİRSCHİ’NİN SOSYAL KONTROL TEORİSİ BAĞLAMINDA TÜRKİYE’NİN GÜNEYDOĞU ANADOLU BÖLGESİNDE KÜRT GENÇLERİNDE SUÇUN ANALİZİ

Author : Sebahattin ZİYANAK
Number of pages : 319-338

Abstract

This study examines the mediating effect of social bonding on delinquent behavior among Kurdish teens. Major influences to the study of self-concept and delinquency based on Hirschi’s social bonding theory are reviewed. The data was collected from a sample of 100 Kurdish teens attending a Gülen affiliated school (Private Çaglayan Murat Anatolian Science High School in Şanlıurfa, Turkey) and 100 Kurdish teens attending a public (non- Gülen) school (The Public High School in Diyarbakır, Turkey). Involvement in major delinquency is dependent variable for this research project. A student is classified as a major delinquent if he or she reports having been involved in any major delinquent action - larceny equal to less than the cost of four pounds of baklava, larceny equal to more than the cost of four pounds of baklava, physically injuring another person, getting into a physical fight, breaking and entering a car, damaging property, and painting graffiti within the past twelve months- within the past twelve months. The components of social bonding attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief were used as independent variables. Participants’ age ranged between 16 to 18 years. I hypothesize that the relation between the social bonding elements and delinquency should be stronger in the case of Kurdish adolescents who are more attached to conventional Turkish society. Results from binary logistic regression analyses indicate that in the absence of bonding, Kurdish teenagers tend to engage in major delinquent activities. For further exploration and results, the Gülen movement was examined as an independent variable.

Keywords

Delinquency; Hirschi; social bonding theory; Kurdish teenagers; the Gülen movement: Turkey

Read: 674

Download: 230