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A Cross-National Analysis of the Impact of Conscription on Crime Rates

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A Cross-National Analysis of the Impact of Conscription on Crime Rates Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations Sociology & Criminal Justice Summer 2014 A Cross-National Analysis of the Impact of Conscription on Crime Rates Nicolette G. Rose Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/sociology_criminaljustice_etds Part of the Criminology Commons, and the Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons Recommended Citation Rose, Nicolette G.. "A Cross-National Analysis of the Impact of Conscription on Crime Rates" (2014). Master of Arts (MA), Thesis, Sociology & Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/ 35xq-4q32 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/sociology_criminaljustice_etds/35 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology & Criminal Justice at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A CROSS-NATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF CONSCRIPTION ON CRIME RATES by Nicolette G. Rose B.S. Psychology May 2002, Rocky Mountain College B.S. Sociology/Anthropology May 2002, Rocky Mountain College A Thesis Submitted to the Faculties of Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS APPLIED SOCIOLOGY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY AND NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY August 2004 Approved by: Randy Gainey (Director) es Oleson (Member) Judi Caron-Sheppard (Mdpfber) © 2004 Nicolette Rose. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT A CROSS-NATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF CONSCRIPTION ON CRIME RATES Nicolette G. Rose Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University, 2004 Director: Dr. Randy Gainey Research has repeatedly shown that males in the age range of 16 to 24 years account for a disproportionately large volume of crime (Sampson and Laub 1993). The armed forces are major employers of young males in this crime-prone age range and could thus play an important role in crime prevention. The military provides many varied opportunities including a highly structured and regimented institution in which rigid behavioral norms and close monitoring are imposed. Some other incentives that service provides include educational opportunities through the “Advanced Individual Training”, the GI Bill, in-service tuition assistance, and world-wide travel. All these are available to those who serve in the military and without the military these opportunities may not be available. This paper examines the relationship between conscription laws (mandatory military or social service) and crime rates across countries. This cross-national study focuses on three major crimes: burglary, robbery, and homicide. In addition to conscription laws several control variables have been included in the analyses are: percent of the labor force that is military, level o f civil liberties/freedom, level of industrialization, illiteracy rates, percent of urban population, unemployment rates, percent under the international poverty line, income disparity (measured using the Gini index), and population. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This study assesses the impact of conscription on crime rates by formulating and testing three hypotheses. First, mandatory military service and mandatory military with social service option is negatively related to crime across nations. Secondly, mandatory military service with a social service option has stronger affects on crime than simply mandatory military service. Lastly, both types of mandatory service will be significant when the control variables are included in analyses. As there are few studies that look into the relation of conscription and crime I believe the findings to have policy implications throughout the world. The findings indicate that mandatory military service is highly related to reducing property crimes (burglary and robbery). This result is consistent with social control theory, in that military service may serve as a process of socialization through which people identify with each other and their community, thus reducing the likelihood of property crime. There appears to be no link between any type o f mandatory service and homicide. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. For all those who have served this country in various ways. I thank you for your tireless efforts to the pursuit of freedom and protection of the innocent. Thank you! You are heroes! I dedicate this work to my heroes: My Mom, Janella My Dad, Gene My Uncle, Maj. Victor J. Apodaca, Jr (POW/MIA) “Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril.” -William Lloyd Garrison Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have pursued an education for the betterment of my family’s and my life. During this pursuit I have been supported by a number of people. I want to thank God for the gifts and strength He has given me. Thank you to my parents (Gene and Janella) and grandparents (Grandma and Grandpa Rose and my Nana). They were my first teachers after all! Also thank you for your unfailing love and support. I love you with all my heart and soul! Thank you for sending bits of home out to Virginia, I always had some home made molasses cookies on hand! Now that this process is all over I hope to come home and get in some fishing with you dad, some laughing and shopping with you mom, and some rhubarb picking with you grandma and grandpa! I want to sincerely thank Grand-Master Karlo Fujiwara and his wife Anne. You both mean the world to me. Your years of love, support, and advice have helped to make me who I am today. Respect, etiquette, loyalty, modesty, and patience are at the top of a long list of things I have learned from you. You are forever in my heart and mind; I love you and thank you! I want to thank Barry Snodgrass for the love and support through our friendship. You supported me through the difficult transition from a Biology and Chemistry major to a Psychology and Sociology/Anthropology major. You have encouraged me through the years and always believed and told me that I could do anything I put my mind to, thanks! I want to thank all of my family and friends who lent their support, love, and friendship through out this whole process. Jerry, Jeri, and Tena; you have been there for me through out my life, thank you and I love you! There are so many of who have touched my life and made it so much brighter. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. vi To all of my friends from Montana and Virginia, thanks so much for making me go out and do something other than sit in front of a computer screen and type. But also thank you for respecting my need to be alone with my thoughts and to finish this research. I hope that I have given you half as much happiness as you have given me. I also want to thank Paul White, Jr. for his love and unfailing support of all my aspirations! Without you I would have had a very hard time transitioning to the ways of the “East Coast”. I probably would have gone nutty (or nuttier than I already am) from all the graduate school homework without you. I want to thank my uncle Jr. for pursuing his dreams and fighting for our country’s freedom. I grew up not ever meeting you but knowing I wanted to be as smart, talented, and courageous as you. I have worked to make our family as proud of me as they are of you! I want to thank the many professors who have given me the gift of knowledge through out the years. From my undergraduate years I would like to acknowledge Dr. Linda DeRosier and Dr. Ron Cochran from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. From my graduate years I would like to thank Dr. Randy Gainey, Dr. James Oleson, Dr. Ivan Sun from Old Dominion University and Dr. Judi Caron-Sheppard, from Norfolk State University. I thank you all for believing in my intellect but more importantly for believing in me. I could never have gotten this far in my life without your love and support. I pray that I continue to make you proud! God Bless! Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE........................................................................4 SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY......................................................................4 CONSCRIPTION...............................................................................................9 EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING MILITARY SERVICE 17 FACTORS RELATED TO CRIME ACROSS COUNTRIES..................23 HYPOTHESIS................................................................................................. 33 III. METHODOLOGY................................................................................................. 34 SOCIAL INDICATORS RELATED TO CRIME...................................... 34 DEPENDENT VARIABLES........................................................................ 35 CONSCRIPTION
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