At the End of Their Rope

• Author: Ryan C. Meldrum,Teresa M. Encalada,George M. Connolly
• DOI: 10.1177/1541204016635258
• Published date: 01 July 2017
• Date: 01 July 2017
• Subject Matter: Research Notes

Research Note

At the End of Their Rope:

A Research Note on the

Influence of Parental Low

Self-Control and Juvenile

Delinquency on Parental

Exasperation

Ryan C. Meldrum

1

, Teresa M. Encalada

1

,

and George M. Connolly

1

Abstract

The concept of self-control has been used to account for a wide variety of outcomes, both criminal

and otherwise. Recently, researchers have started investigating associations between parental self-

control and family functioning. This study expands this area of research by assessing the extent to

which parental low self-control and official involvement in juvenile delinquency is associated with

parental exasperation among a sample of parents (N¼101) whose children have been processed

through a juvenile justice assessment facility. The results indicate that parents who are lower in self-

control and whose children have had more extensive involvement in officially recorded delinquency

report greater exasperation regarding their children. In addition, the data indicate the effect of

parental low self-control on parental exasperation is stronger at higher levels of delinquent behavior.

The implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords

self-control, parental exasperation, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice system, official records

Since its inception 25 years ago, Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) self-control theory has been

widely tested, debated, and scrutinized (see Hay & Meldrum, 2015). At its core, the theory centers

on the concept of low self-control, with Gottfredson and Hirschi arguing that, ‘‘...people who lack

self-control will tend to be impulsive, insensitive, physical (as opposed to mental), risk-taking,

shortsighted, and nonverbal, and they will tend therefore to engage in criminal and analogous acts’’

(Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990, p. 90). Understandably, given that the primary focus of the theory is

1

Department of Criminal Justice, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Ryan C. Meldrum, Department of Criminal Justice, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., PCA-364B, Miami, FL

33199, USA.

Email: rmeldrum@fiu.edu

Youth Violence and JuvenileJustice

2017, Vol. 15(3) 314-324

ªThe Author(s) 2016

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DOI: 10.1177/1541204016635258

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