Exploring Potential Protective Factors for the Relationship between Low Self-Control in Adolescence and Negative Health Outcomes in Adulthood

• Author: Cashen M. Boccio
• Published date: 01 November 2021
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20931441
• Date: 01 November 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X20931441

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2021, Vol. 65(15) 1559 –1585

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20931441

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Article

Exploring Potential Protective

Factors for the Relationship

between Low Self-Control in

Adolescence and Negative

Health Outcomes in

Adulthood

Cashen M. Boccio1

Abstract

Previous research links low levels of self-control with criminal involvement and negative

life outcomes. A similar line of inquiry has begun to explore whether low levels of self-

control are also associated with developing health problems in adulthood. This paper

extends this research by examining associations between adolescent levels of self-

control and four different categories of health outcomes in adulthood. In addition, this

study examines whether associations between adolescent levels of low self-control and

health outcomes in adulthood are moderated by environmental protective factors. The

results reveal that low levels of self-control in adolescence are consistently associated

with reporting more health problems. In addition, some evidence emerged in support

of the role of environmental protective factors in buffering the risk of developing health

problems conferred by low levels of self-control in adolescence.

Keywords

health, self-control, social disorganization, peers, life-course theory

Introduction

Low self-control is one of the most robust predictors of criminal behavior in the extant

criminological literature (Pratt & Cullen, 2000). A significant body of research links

1The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA

Corresponding Author:

Cashen M. Boccio, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, The University of Texas at San

Antonio, 501 W. cesar Chavez Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78207-4415, USA.

Email: cashen.boccio@utsa.edu

931441IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X20931441International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyBoccio

research-article2020

1560 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 65(15)

low self-control with a plethora of criminal and deviant acts including theft, property

crimes, assault, drunk driving, risky sex, gambling, etc. (Baron, 2003; Longshore,

1998; Jones & Quisenberry, 2004; Paternoster & Brame, 1998; Tittle et al., 2003;

Welch et al., 2008). However, considerably less research has examined how self-con-

trol may be connected with other life outcomes outside of crime and contact with the

criminal justice system. What research has been conducted in this area suggests that

low self-control is negatively associated with relationship quality, educational attain-

ment, labor market outcomes, and employment outcomes (Baron, 2003; Chapple,

2005; Evans et al., 1997; Gibson et al., 2000; Tangney et al., 2004).

One merging line of inquiry also suggests that levels of self-control might be asso-

ciated with health outcomes in adulthood (Miller et al., 2011; Moffitt et al., 2011;

Nedelec & Beaver, 2014). For instance, some research links low self-control with

asthma, cancer, mental illness, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol (Moffitt

et al., 2011). Given the emerging literature suggesting an association between low self-

control and health problems, what remains to be investigated is whether this associa-

tion between levels of self-control and health outcomes may be affected by

environmental protective factors. That is, it is possible that positive environmental

influences such as parental socioeconomic status, neighborhood factors, and peer rela-

tionships may reduce the influence of low self-control on health outcomes. This paper

aims to extend the research exploring the connection between low self-control in ado-

lescence and health outcomes in adulthood and explores possible environmental pro-

tective factors that may moderate the association between low self-control and

developing health problems in adulthood.

Low Self-control

Low self-control has been consistently linked with involvement in criminal and delin-

quent behavior (Arneklev et al., 1993; Pratt & Cullen, 2000). Previous research, for

instance, links low self-control with theft, fraud, assault, drunk driving, and property

crimes (Baron, 2003; Holtfreter et al., 2010; Keane et al., 1993; Longshore, 1998;

Tittle et al., 2003; Welch et al., 2008). However, there is also some evidence suggest-

ing that self-control may not be linked with involvement in all types of crimes (i.e.,

white-collar crime) and may be more closely associated with impulsive types of crimes

(Benson & Moore, 1992).

As originally described by Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990), self-control refers to

“the differential tendency of people to avoid criminal acts whatever the circumstances”

(p. 87). The definition of self-control was later reconfigured by Hirschi (2004), as the

“tendency to consider the full range of potential costs of a particular act” (p. 543).

Both of these definitions of self-control can be interpreted to suggest that self-control

is a (relatively) stable trait and that it influences a wide range of behaviors. In particu-

lar, these definitions suggest that low self-control is associated with criminal, delin-

quent, and self-defeating behaviors. In general, people who have low levels of

self-control are characterized by six mains traits: impulsivity, self-centeredness, risk

seeking behavior, hot temperedness, attraction to simple rather than complex tasks,