RELIGION AND DEVIANCE - EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL-CONTROL ELEMENTS

This study explored, from a social control perspective, the relationships between religiosity and various acts of self-reported deviance. As an extension of social control theory, this study sought to assess the importance of religion relative to other forms of social control in explaining deviance. In doing so, unidimensional and multidimensional measures of religiosity were employed. Findings from this study are twofold: (1) In the regression model, neither multidimensional measures nor unidimensional measures of religiosity are significant variables for explaining variance in self-reported deviance; and (2) The significant variables were moral beliefs, family attachment, and respect for authority. If religion affects deviance, it might do so indirectly. This highlights a need to employ advanced research methodologies and statistical techniques that are capable of clarifying the path of religiosity in impacting deviance.