Behavioral Choices in Adolescent Youth

• In Event: CHOICES: Examining Impact of Brief Interventions to Reduce Delinquency

Abstract

The link between self-control and the opportunity to commit crime has been well studied. However, most studies draw the study sample from a pool of individuals that have been pre-identified as being criminal or delinquent by virtue of having been arrested. This is especially true of studies involving juveniles. This raises the question of whether the observed relationship between self-control, opportunity to commit crime and delinquent behavior holds true for members of the population that would not be considered delinquent.
The current study will use survey responses drawn from a population of sixth grade middle school students, in a predominately Hispanic school district, a seldom studied population. The survey includes self-report measures for delinquency, self-control and opportunity to commit crime. Additionally, disciplinary reports from the schools participating in the survey will be made available. This information will be examined to answer the question of “Does the link between self-control and opportunity remain constant across all levels of delinquent behavior?” Should the results of this study differ from studies of other student populations the generalizability of previously observed relationships could be questioned, and current policies regarding juvenile crime based on previous studies may need to be re-examined.

Authors

• Richard Riner, University of Texas at Dallas

• Nadine M. Connell, University of Texas at Dallas