The DOI matches its Crossref record; 64 of the 66 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Social and Developmental Antecedents of Legal Cynicism
Open accessAbstract
Objectives: This study explores the social and developmental antecedents of legal cynicism. This study comprises a range of indicators organized into four domains—bonds to institutions, predispositions, experiences, and delinquent involvement—that bear on theoretically plausible mechanisms involved in the development of legal cynicism. Methods: This study examines four pathways to legal cynicism using data from two waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development of Children and Youths ( N = 1,226). Ordinary least squares (OLS) procedures are used to regress legal cynicism at t 2 (age 15) on social and psychological characteristics measured at t 1 (age 13), and retrospective variables measured at t 2 . Baseline legal cynicism was included as a covariate in all models. Results: The results show that self-reported delinquency is the strongest predictor of legal cynicism. There is also evidence that alienation from society, negative experiences with police, and association with deviant peers can foster legal cynicism. Conclusions: This study shows that legal cynicism is to a small extent the result of alienation from social institutions and negative experiences with the police. To a much larger degree, legal cynicism seems to represent a cognitive neutralization technique used to justify one’s previous self-reported delinquency.
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Worden, R. E., & McLean, S. J. (2020) · University of California Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9780520965966-015
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Auyero, J., & Sobering, K. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780190915537.002.0004
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Metadata
- Authors
- Nivette, A. E., Eisner, M., Malti, T., & Ribeaud, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Nivette, Amy E.
- Venue
- Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-11-19
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 270-298
- ISSN
- 0022-4278 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-731X
- OpenAlex
- W2091629214
- Cited by
- 124
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5
- FWCI
- 22.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.zora.uzh.ch
- Locations
- Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policing Practices and Perceptions
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Keywords
- legal cynicism, juvenile delinquency, deviant peer affiliation, neutralization techniques, social development (developmental psychology)
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