ABSTRACT
Structural equation modeling (SEM) has undergone rapid advances in recent years that have made this technique useful to social scientists studying a variety of topics. The hypothesis-testing and model-evaluation capacity of SEM makes this modeling strategy useful for research in criminal justice and criminology. The flexibility of this strategy and the availability of user-friendly software programs add to the appeal of SEM. This article is a basic introduction to the use of SEM in criminal justice and criminology. An overview of SEM, popular computer programs, and the sequence of steps in building and evaluating models is provided with the intent of offering readers a general roadmap of the use of SEM. The article concludes with a list of recommended readings for those wishing to study this topic in detail.
