| Project period |
2025 – 2028
| Project staff |
Dr. Jan-Philip Steinmann (project manager)
N.N.
| Cooperations |
Prof. Sarah Carol (University College Dublin)
Prof. Gert Pickel (Leipzig University)
| Funding |
German Research Foundation (DFG)
| Project description |
This research project offers a fresh perspective on a classic question in criminology: How are religiosity and delinquent behavior related? This relationship is investigated using the example of Christian and Muslim adolescents.
While religiosity is generally considered to have a delinquency-reducing effect, there is growing debate over whether this effect is universally applicable. Recent studies highlight the increased complexity of the relationship between religiosity and juvenile delinquency compared to earlier research. The primary aim of the project is to contribute to understanding this complexity (Objective 1). This involves considering the multidimensional nature of both religiosity and juvenile delinquency, as well as employing a comparative religious approach. Four perspectives (mechanistic, intersectional, contextual, and longitudinal) will be utilized to investigate the relationship between religiosity and juvenile delinquency in a theoretically sound and empirically ambitious manner.
To achieve this, a representative data collection will be conducted among ninth-grade students in schools in Lower Saxony, including an additional Muslim sample (Objective 2). Additionally, the project has the potential to enhance socio-political discussions on topics such as the recent rise in juvenile delinquency, the involvement of young people with and without a migration background in delinquency, and the role of religiosity in the integration of immigrants.
Publications (in preparation for the project)
Steinmann, J.-P. (2025) Das Messer, die Jugend und die Religion. Eine notwendige Differenzierung. Forensische Psychiatrie, Psychologie, Kriminologie. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11757-025-00894-3
Steinmann, J.-P. (2024). Religiosität und Delinquenz unter christlichen und muslimischen Jugendlichen. Monatsschrift für Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform, 107(3), 199-219. https://doi.org/10.1515/mks-2024-0017