ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the ability of the Sibling study research project to address divergent orientations. The unique aspects of the Sibling Study research design introduce covariance structures regarding the inter-sibling correlations. The chapter describes the Sibling study cohorts such as school cohort, vulnerable cohort and offender cohort. Although the School and Vulnerable cohorts contain relatively equal numbers of females and males, the Offender cohort comprises 71 per cent male and 29 per cent female respondents. The chapter also provides the issues of conformity and non-conformity to the social sciences and criminology and presents the major theoretical perspectives with respect to conformity and non-conformity. The theories include classic strain theory, social control theory and differential association theory. While social control theory argues for the importance of strong social bonds for the maintenance of social conformity, and strain theory asserts the importance of 'means/ends' relationships, differential association highlights the significance of social learning.
