The Structure of Unstructured Time and Crime: A Spare Time Model

David Buil-Gil

The British Journal of Criminology, 2026, vol. 66, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: This article examines the association of unstructured spare time with individual differences in crime and crime trends, highlighting the need for an unstructured spare time model in criminology. Much of what we previously understood as the direct association of traditional predictors of crime such as self-control, parental supervision, or peer influence with crime, may be mediated by individuals’ unstructured spare time. The article presents two studies: one examining individual differences in youth crime, and another analysing crime trends. These studies provide evidence that the direct and mediating associations of spare time with offending and deviance may surpass those of self-control, parental supervision, and peer influence. Additionally, temporal variations in spare time appear to be associated with changes in crime.

Keywords: offending; deviance; leisure; unstructured; juvenile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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