Abstract
ABSTRACT Research into the nature of the IQ/crime relationship has largely indicated that the relationship is indirect. However, the exact mechanisms that moderate the IQ/crime relationship remain the subject of much debate. This study examines academic competence and residence in a socially disorganized neighborhood as possible moderators of the IQ/crime relationship. Using data on 2381 males and females from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, intelligence is found to predict academic competence but fails to predict delinquency. Academic competence and residing in a socially disorganized neighborhood however are found to be predictive of delinquency. Moreover, academic competence demonstrates differential effects by gender. Results are not differentially distributed by race. However, the authors found that race was an important component of the indirect relationship for minority females. Our results also suggest that homes characterized by parental criminality increase a child's risk of engaging in delinquent behavior but not in the development of IQ. The research and policy implications of this investigation are discussed.
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