Delinquency and Deviance

Abstract

The relationship between religion, juvenile delinquency, and deviance in general has been explored for many years. In fact, some of the seminal works in the discipline of sociology addressed the association between religion and deviant behaviors such as crime and suicide. This chapter reviews theory and research that has addressed the relationship between various aspects of religiosity and deviance, including juvenile delinquency, suicide and suicidal ideation, and sexual deviance; as well as studies that have examined religion as deviance. The chapter concludes with a discussion of three areas that require attention in order to improve our understanding of the association between religion and deviance.