Self-control and criminal opportunity

In this study, the authors tested two hypotheses drawn from the general theory of crime. The first hypothesis is that low self-control is a major individual-level cause of crime. The second, that the effect of self-control is contingent on criminal opportunity. The measure of self-control used was a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Longshore, Douglas
Contributors: Turner, Susan
Format: Electronic/Print Article
Language:English
Published: 1998
In: Criminal justice and behavior
Year: 1998, Volume: 25, Issue: 1, Pages: 81-98
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
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Summary:In this study, the authors tested two hypotheses drawn from the general theory of crime. The first hypothesis is that low self-control is a major individual-level cause of crime. The second, that the effect of self-control is contingent on criminal opportunity. The measure of self-control used was a 23-item self-report index. To measure criminal opportunity, two proxy variables were used: gender and crime-involved friends. Crime measures included number of criminal acts of force and number of criminal acts of fraud reported in a 6-month recall period by a sample of 522 criminal offenders. Self-control was lower among offenders reporting more crimes of force and fraud, but the variance explained by self-control was low in each case. The relationship between self-control and fraud crimes was contingent on criminal opportunity, but the relationship between self-control and force crimes was not. Implications of these findings for the general theory of crime are reviewed
ISSN:0093-8548
DOI:10.1177/0093854898025001005