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Self-Control Theory and the Concept of Opportunity: The Case for a More Systematic Union

NCJ Number
225319
Journal
Criminology Volume: 46 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 1039-1072
Author(s)
Carter Hay; Walter Forrest
Date Published
November 2008
Length
34 pages
Annotation
After developing the theory that low self-control, one of the strongest known predictors of crime, likely has effects dependent on the supply of criminal opportunities, this article uses data from a national sample of juveniles to test this theory.
Abstract
The data analysis supported the theory in showing that the effects of low self-control on criminal behavior were greater when opportunity was high. This was especially the case for two of the four measures of opportunity for juveniles, i.e., unsupervised time from home and adult absence after school. This pattern supports the conclusions from the few studies to date that have considered this issue (Grasmick et al., 1993; LaGrange and Silverman, 1999; Longshore, 1998; and Lynam et al., 2000). The authors caution, however, that more research is needed on this issue, particularly regarding alternative ways in which opportunity can be measured. The study analyzed data from the Child and Young Adult Supplement of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY). This is a national longitudinal study of just over 12,000 men and women who were between 14 and 21 years old when the study began in 1979. The study was designed to oversample Blacks, Hispanics, and economically disadvantaged non-Hispanic Whites, who were expected to be at greater risk for experiencing problems in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The NLSY contains six items that assess respondents’ impulsivity and risk-seeking attitudes. Opportunity was measured in terms of the frequency of unstructured or unsupervised socializing. These variables were time spent with peers after school, being away from home without informing parents where they were, being away from home without informing parents with whom they were associating, and returning after school to a home in which no adult was present. 1 figure, 4 tables, 66 references, and 1 appendix