INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE AND APPLIED CRIMINAL JUSTICE, cilt.0, sa.0, ss.1-19, 2025 (ESCI)
Existing criminological and sociological research in the Western world typically presents a negative relationship between social class and deviance, such that individuals with a lower social class position are more likely to engage in crime and deviance. Despite receiving less academic attention, however, research concerning Turkiye generally suggests a positive relationship between social class and deviance, which presents an “anomaly” and warrants further investigation. To explore this discrepancy in greater depth, this study analysed the relationship between social class and deviance using a sample of young adults from a state university in Sivas, Türkiye. Findings from a series of ordinary least squares and logistic regression analyses revealed that, contrary to prevailing f indings in the Western contexts, family income had a positive association with general deviance and violence. Parental education, however, showed no significant association with any of the out come measures. Potential explanations for these relationships are discussed below.