Religiosity as a Buffer in the Association Between Economic Disadvantage and Violence

Strain theory has long argued that many forms of strain, especially pertaining to economic disadvantage, can lead to feelings of anger and frustration. Research has shown that economic disadvantage is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including violence. While strain theory has made the assumption that social control serves to inhibit juvenile criminal behavior, no study to date has answered questions about how other types of social control such as religiosity may moderate the relationship between economic disadvantage and adolescent violence. Waves I and II of the National Study of Adolescent Health were used to investigate the moderation effects of religiosity on the economic disadvantage and violence relationship. Tobit regression was used. Results indicate that the relationship between economic disadvantage and violence is increased by public religiosity but diminished by private religiosity.