RT Article T1 Buffering effects of religiosity on crime: testing the invariance hypothesis across gender and developmental period JF Criminal justice and behavior VO 41 IS 6 SP 673 OP 691 A1 Salas-Wright, Christopher P. A1 Vaughn, Michael G. A1 Maynard, Brandy R. A2 Vaughn, Michael G. A2 Maynard, Brandy R. LA English YR 2014 UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1885453809 AB Studies examining the protective effect of religiosity on crime are frequently rooted in the assumption that the impact of religiosity is invariant across sociodemographic differences. This study systematically examines the validity of this assumption across gender and the developmental periods of adolescence and young adulthood. Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n = 90,202) and young adults (n = 93,710), negative binomial regression (NBR) is employed to examine the associations between religiosity and criminal behaviors (e.g., drug selling, theft) among male and female adolescents and young adults. Results indicate that the protective relationship between religiosity and criminal behaviors such as drug selling and theft is consistent across gender as well as across the developmental periods of adolescence and young adulthood. This study provides support for the validity of the invariance hypothesis as the protective effect of religiosity on criminal behavior was consistently observed across important sociodemographic differences. K1 Adolescence K1 Drug selling K1 Religiosity K1 Theft K1 Young adulthood DO 10.1177/0093854813514579