Self-Control in Global Perspective

Abstract

A B S T R A C TResearch concerning Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) General Theory of Crime has paid inadequate attention to the reliability and validity of self-control measures in non-Western settings, to the relationship between parenting and self-control in non-Western settings, and to Gottfredson and Hirschi's assertion that macro-level cultural forces have little or no influence on criminal behavior. The present study addresses each of these issues using a six-item self-control scale and two separate crime measures among young adult respondents from 32 Western and non-Western settings on all six humanly habitable continents. Across Western and non-Western settings, results suggest that (1) the six-item self-control scale demonstrates reliability comparable to that of prior self-control scales in the existing criminological literature; (2) the scale is associated significantly with both violence and property crime, and (3) an eight-item parental neglect scale is associated with self-control in both Western and nonWestern settings. At the same time, HLM (Hierarchical Linear and Nonlinear Modeling) analysis suggests that there exists a macro-level contextual effect, unanticipated by Gottfredson and Hirschi, of aggregate parental neglect on individual-level self-control. Results further suggest a robust individual-level association, also unanticipated by Gottfredson and Hirschi, between personal and peer crime that tends to remain independent of adjustments for self-control.

Life after release from prison: The experience of ex‐offenders with intellectual disabilities

“…So far, there has been consistent evidence that such a relationship exists for ex-offenders in the general population (e.g. Rebellon, Straus & Medeiros, 2008;Smith & Ecob, 2013). However, a sweeping generalisation should not be made as the social dynamics for people with intellectual disabilities are different, for example, many have a much smaller social network (Forrester-Jones et al, 2006), with staff being more of a functional and emotional support than acquaintances (Van Asselt-Goverts, Embregts & Hendriks, 2013).…”

Bullying and Cyberbullying in Turkish Adolescents: Direct and Indirect Effects of Parenting Processes

“…Low self-control is characterized by impulsivity and shortsightedness. It has been found to consistently predict both aggressive and deviant or delinquent behaviors, including in cross-cultural work (e.g., Chui & Chan, 2013; Miller, Jennings, Alvarez-Rivera, & Lanza-Kaduce, 2009; Özdemir et al, 2013; Rebellon, Straus, & Medeiros, 2008; Vazsonyi & Belliston, 2007; Vazsonyi et al, 2012; Vazsonyi, Pickering, Junger, & Hessing, 2001). Importance of self-control and self-regulation in predicting adjustment outcomes has also been recognized in psychology (Baumeister, Heatherton, & Tice, 1994; Tangney, Baumeister, & Boone, 2004), education (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005), and health-risk research (Griffin, Scheier, Acevedo, Grenard, & Botvin, 2011; Miller, Barnes, & Beaver, 2011).…”

The process of offender reintegration: Perceptions of what helps prisoners reenter society

“…Law abiding friends can provide support, role models, and constraints against crime. Deviant peers provide models and support for illegal behavior (Bahr et al, 2010;Elliott and Menard, 1996;Rebellon et al, 2008;Zamble and Quinsey, 1997).…”