Testing the Generality Assumptions of Gottfredson and Hirschi's General Theory of Crime

• In Event: Research on the Measurement of Self-Control

Abstract

Since its publication in 1990, Gottfredson and Hirschi’s A General Theory of Crime has generated an immense amount of scholarly research. And although the theory has been tested with a variety of populations, its generality claims have not been proven -- simply because the theory has never been tested with the combination of a nationally representative sample and measures of self-control specifically designed to test the theory. How well does the most commonly used measure of self-control (i.e., the Grasmick Scale) predict crime, deviance, and victimization among a nationally representative sample of adults?

Author

• Trina L. Hope, University of Oklahoma