Low sense of mattering in society and delinquency among young people: An initial investigation

Abstract Background Studies of mattering and delinquency among young people have, to date, focused solely on whether teenagers think that they matter to each other. No one has yet examined the extent to which young people think that they matter to society generally and how this relates to delinquency. Aims To explore relationships between young peoples' sense of being of value to society and their delinquent intentions. First, we tested relationships between such ‘societal mattering’ scores and delinquent intentions; secondly, we tested self‐rated attitudes towards the criminal justice system and associating with delinquent peers as possible mediators of any relationship. Methods Four hundred and twenty‐eight 10‐ to 21‐year‐olds were recruited by social media, flyers or in one school in France. They were asked to complete a schedule online, in private, first rating themselves on a five‐point Likert scale according to the statement ‘I feel like I matter in society’. They were then asked to rate the frequency and variety of their own delinquency and delinquent intentions, then the extent to which they related to peers with positive or negative attitudes towards the law and its representatives and their own attitudes towards the criminal justice system. Results Under one in three of these young people felt that they mattered in society. Regression analyses showed that lower sense of such mattering was associated with delinquent intentions, even after controlling for own past delinquency, age and gender. Peers' attitudes and personal attitudes towards the justice system partially mediated this link. Conclusion Our findings add to literature on sense of place in society and criminal behaviours by showing, for the first time, that a sense of not mattering in society, or mattering little, is likely to be associated with delinquency. Although we recommend extending this study to international, population‐based samples, we suggest school and community initiatives to ensure that young people do feel valued by society, which may contribute to community safety.