Low Self-Control and Contact with the Criminal Justice System in a Nationally Representative Sample of Males

• NCJ Number: 228998
• Journal: Justice Quarterly Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2009 Pages: 695-715
• Author(s): Kevin M. Beaver; Matt DeLisi; Daniel P. Mears; Eric Stewart
• Date Published: December 2009
• Length: 21 pages
• Grant Number(s): P01-HD31921
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the relationship between self-control and criminal justice system contacts in a nationally representative sample of males.

Abstract

Results of the study suggest that, among offenders who come into contact with the criminal justice system, those with lower levels of self-control are at greater risk of being arrested and convicted. There is a self-control penalty that results in a greater likelihood of formal processing and sanctioning. One of the most prominent criminological theories to emerge in recent decades is self-control theory. Specifically, the very factor that the theory argues should give rise to crime, low self-control, is one that may very well confer a greater likelihood of being caught and sanctioned. The question that arises is whether individuals with lower levels of self-control are, in fact, more likely to be arrested and, be convicted relative to individuals with higher levels of self-control. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the hypothesis that low self-control will predict greater contact and formal processing is tested. Figure, tables, references, and appendix