Revisiting the role of self-control in Situational Action Theory

Wikström’s Situational Action Theory of Crime Causation (SAT) aims at providing a comprehensive account of the action-generating mechanisms that underlie rule-breaking. Paying tribute to the longstanding criminological interest in self-control, SAT also entails a new view of this concept and its rol...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kroneberg, Clemens (Author)
Contributors: Schulz, Sonja
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2018
In: European journal of criminology
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Keywords:
Deterrence
Dual processes
Interactions
Moral filter
Morality
Description
Summary:Wikström’s Situational Action Theory of Crime Causation (SAT) aims at providing a comprehensive account of the action-generating mechanisms that underlie rule-breaking. Paying tribute to the longstanding criminological interest in self-control, SAT also entails a new view of this concept and its role in crime causation. SAT claims that morality is the more fundamental determinant of rule-breaking and that self-control should become relevant only when actors enter a process of deliberation on whether or not to break a rule. Our contribution is twofold: theoretically, we discuss the role of self-control in SAT and derive previously untested implications; empirically, we evaluate these implications based on data from a large German panel study and thereby advance our understanding of when and how self-control matters for crime and delinquency.
ISSN:1741-2609
DOI:10.1177/1477370817732189