Self-Control and Early Adolescent Antisocial Behavior: A Longitudinal Analysis

• NCJ Number: 227822
• Journal: Journal of Early Adolescence Volume: 29 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2009 Pages: 497-517
• Author(s): Raymond A.T. De Kemp; Ad A. Vermulst; Catrin Finkenauer; Ron H.J. Scholte; Geertjan Overbeek; Els W.M. Rommes; Rutger C.M.E. Engels
• Date Published: August 2009
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored the relationship between self-control and aggressive and delinquent behavior in early adolescent boys and girls from the Netherlands.

Abstract

Results indicate that in a normal sample of early adolescents higher levels of self-control are associated with less antisocial behavior. The analyses show that higher levels of self-control are consistently associated with less aggressive and delinquent behaviors in subsequent 6 month intervals. This finding is consistent with the general theory of crime and previous findings on longitudinal associations in early adolescence. The analyses for the total sample did not indicate that self-control was influenced by previous levels of aggression or delinquency; however, separate analyses for both sexes showed reciprocal effects of self-control and delinquency for boys. Neither did the multi-group analyses show significant sex differences in the longitudinal associations between self-control and future antisocial behavior. Data were collected from 1,012 Dutch adolescents in their first year of secondary education. Figure, tables, appendix, and references