ional families (Jean-Gilles and Crittenden, 1990, pp. 323-329).
Criminal anti-social behavior in the 1990s is shockingly high and increasing in frequency. A wide variety of explanations are offered for this phenomenon. Unfortunately, these explanations are all too often offered in support of some pet prejudice of the proponent. Advocates of prayer in public school, as example, cite declining moral values as the cause of the increase in crime (Dunaway and Cullen, 1991, pp. 536-554). The solution, according to these people, is to improve moral values by conducting prayer in public schools. The real agenda in such instances, of course, is the pursuit of a particular brand of religion, not the reduction of crime. Civil rights groups often contend that socioeconomic deprivation and discrimination are the underlying causes of criminal behavior, and that, to reduce crime, a more equitable society must be constructed (Kaihla and Laver, 1992, pp. 24-29; Phillips, 1991, pp. 555-574; Elder, 1992, p. 32).
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