Military Attracts Youths Who Are Delinquent, But Not Too Delinquent
Color Guard The U.S. Joint Service Color Guard at Fort Myer, Virginia in October 2001. U.S. Department of Defense via Wikimedia Commons Being a delinquent youth doesn't exactly help your career prospects. But it may make you more likely to join the military. A new study found that delinquent youngsters were more likely than their rule-abiding peers to join the military. And that's basically a good thing, the authors argue, as enlisting helps them make the transition to adulthood. In particular, for delinquents, enlistment may be seen as an indicator of desistance from criminal activities and the assumption of adult roles. Even though other markers of the transition to adulthood are available, such as marriage or employment in the civilian labor force, military service may be more attractive to delinquents. The military...