| This study investigated the effects of a preference for heavy metal music on delinquent behavior. Two-hundred thirty-nine adolescents in grades 9 through 12 from two rural school districts in Western New York, along with 121 parents, were participants. Participants completed surveys measuring demographic information, delinquent behavior during elementary school, sensation seeking, family functioning, elementary achievement, musical preference, and current delinquent behavior. Path analysis indicated that sensation seeking exerts a strong influence on musical preference, while elementary delinquent behavior, sensation seeking, and family functioning all have a strong influence on current delinquent behavior. Musical preference did not have a statistically significant effect on current delinquent behavior. This study supports the existing research that sensation seeking appears to be the key factor affecting a preference for heavy metal music and delinquent behavior (Arnett, 1992). The physiological need of high sensation seekers appears to be met by the intense sensations and experiences arising out of heavy metal music and delinquent behavior. The results indicate that the important directions for understanding delinquency should focus on sensation seeking, family functioning, and previous delinquent behavior, rather than heavy metal music. |
