An Empirical Test of Low Self-Control Theory

• Author: Eliseo P. Vera,Byongook Moon
• DOI: 10.1177/1541204012441628
• Published date: 01 January 2013
• Date: 01 January 2013
• Subject Matter: Articles

An Empirical Test of

Low Self-Control Theory

Among Hispanic Youth

Eliseo P. Vera

1

and Byongook Moon

2

Abstract

This study, using a sample of 277 Hispanic youth, examines the generality of Gottfredson and

Hirschi’s general theory of crime in explaining the etiology of delinquency among Hispanic juveniles,

especially focusing on the relationships among parental practices, low self-control, and deviant beha-

viors. The results indicate that low self-control is significantly related to general deviant behaviors,

consistent with the theory’s prediction. However, the findings show that the theoretically informed

measures of parental practices are not significantly related to child levels of self-control. Instead,

individual’s perception toward levels of community disorder has a significant effect on child levels

of self-control. Theoretical implications as well as limitations of the findings are discussed.

Keywords

low self-control, parental practice, delinquency, Hispanic youth

Introduction

A general theory of crime (GTC) developed by Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) has garnered con-

siderable academic attention and has been tested in a significant number of studies (i.e., Burt,

Simons, & Simons, 2006; Cretacci, 2008; Hay & Forrest, 2006; Miller, Jennings, Alvarez-Rivera,

& Lanza-Kaduce, 2009; Perrone, Sullivan, Pratt, & Margaryan, 2004; Pratt, Turner, & Piquero,

2004; Turner, Piquero, & Pratt, 2005). Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) argue that low self-control

is the primary cause of crime and analogous behaviors, and parental socialization is a main source

of the development of self-control. Parents/guardians play an important role as a socialization agent

with the development of self-control of their children by effectively monitoring their children’s

behaviors and punishing delinquent behaviors.

Numerous empirical studies have been conducted to test the theory’s key propositions and overall

findings are supportive of the theory’s main prediction that low self-control is a significant predictor

1

Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department, San Antonio, TX, USA

2

Department of Criminal Justice, University of Texas, San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

Corresponding Author:

Byongook Moon, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Texas, San Antonio, 501 W. Durango Blvd., San Antonio, TX

78207, USA

Email: byongook.moon@utsa.edu

Youth Violence and JuvenileJustice

11(1) 79-93

ªThe Author(s) 2013

Reprints and permission:

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

DOI: 10.1177/1541204012441628

http://yvj.sagepub.com