Personality Matters: The Effect of Defiant Individualism on both Deviant Associations and Normative Behaviors among Juveniles in Rural North Carolina

Abstract

The role of defiant individualism in the production of deviant behavior has not been extensively explored within Criminology. This study used data from a juvenile gang assessment of two rural counties in North Carolina to examine the effect of defiant individualism on association with deviant peers, association with gang members, school engagement and grade point average. The researchers developed a proprietary scale with which to measure defiant individualism. Additionally, an integrated defiance continuum was constructed in which to better contextualize the findings. Findings suggested that defiant individualism had positive relationships with both deviant peer associations and association with gang members. Furthermore, there were inverse relationships between defiant individualism and school engagement as well as grade point average. These statistics suggested that besides promoting deviant associations, defiant individualism also inhibited normative behaviors like school engagement and academic achievement which may actually ameliorate deviant behavior in juveniles.