NCJ Number
100385
Journal
Criminology Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1985) Pages: 47-61
Date Published
1985
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Hirschi's (1969) control theory has received much empirical support and, as a consequence, has become one of the dominant theories of delinquency.
Abstract
Virtually all tests of the theory, however, have been conducted with cross-sectional data. This is a serious problem since there is good reason to believe that delinquency may have a causal impact on social control. This paper describes a longitudinal test of Hirschi's theory using panel data from a national sample of adolescent boys. Data indicate that the social control variables explain only 1-2 percent of the variance in future delinquency, suggesting that cross-sectional studies have exaggerated the importance of Hirschi's theory. Possible reasons for the small longitudinal effect of the control variables are discussed. (Publisher abstract)