Pathways to Legal Cynicism in Mexican Adolescents: A Three-Dimensional Measurement Approach

This study examines pathways to legal cynicism among adolescents in Mexico, a context marked by low institutional trust, corruption, and insecurity. Using a three-dimensional measure of legal cynicism (legal antipathy, legal corruption, and low legal legitimacy), data from the ISRD-4 were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results reveal that individual predispositions (self-control, morality) and self-reported delinquency are most strongly associated with legal cynicism. The discussion highlights intervention strategies in violent and institutionally fragile contexts to prevent youth disengagement from legal norms.