Juvenile involvement in occupational delinquency

Although concern with white-collar crime has grown considerably in recent y ears, little research has been undertaken on the workplace misconduct of ju veniles. This omission is noteworthy because of the extensive involvement o f youths in the labor market. Accordingly, based on a sample of high school seniors, we explored the determinants of youths' occupational delinquency. The analysis revealed that work-related delinquency is affected both by un derlying criminal propensities ann by contact with delinquent coworkers on the job. It also appears that delinquent youths are selected into negative work environments in which they come into contact with fellow delinquents-a n interaction effect that amplifies their occupational delinquency. Finally , the data suggest that associating with delinquent coworkers affects misbe havior not only within, but also outside the workplace. The theoretical imp lications of these findings ave explored.