RT Article
T1 Revisiting the Concept of Stability in the General Theory of Crime$d
JF Crime & delinquency
VO 66
IS 6/7
SP 739
OP 769
A1 Nofziger, Stacey
A2 Johnson, Taylor
LA English
YR 2020
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1698102968
AB The general theory proposes that self-control exerts a relatively stable effect on behaviors across the life course. Most studies have examined the stability of self-control itself, rather than whether it leads to persistent patterns of offending that differ between low and high self-control groups. This article examines this alternative idea of stability by tracing patterns of offending over time. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth—Child and Young Adult Data, we find that the level of childhood self-control predicts deviance in every age group. The patterns of offending indicate there are stable differences, with low self-control leading to involvement in a greater range of deviant behavior at every age. The theoretical and policy implications of this stability are discussed.
K1 Self-control
K1 Stability
K1 Longitudinal
K1 Deviance
DO 10.1177/0011128719890264