Exploring the Effect of Strain on Adolescents' Self-Control

• In Event: Empirical Tests of Social Learning, Self-Control, and General Strain Theories in International Contexts

Abstract

Although criminological research has identified various predictors of low self-control, there are still unexplored areas. The main purpose of this study is to broaden our understanding of causes of self-control by testing the effects of strain factors on the level of adolescents’ self-control. To be specific, the author tests how three types of strain factors (parental abuse, bullying victimization, and grade dissatisfaction) influence the level of self-control during adolescence using three-wave panel data collected from Korean adolescents ranged from 14 to 16 years. We estimate two-level random effects regression models using HLM 7.0. The results revealed that all strain variables have negative, significant short-term effects on adolescents’ self-control. In addition, the effects of two types of strain variables (parental abuse, grade dissatisfaction) on self-control became more negative as adolescents grew from 14 to 16. Meanwhile, the experience of strain factors at the initial wave had no significant effect on the long-term development of adolescents' self-control. However, adolescents who have experienced a higher level of average parental abuse and grade dissatisfaction over 3 years showed more decrease in self-control during the same period. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Author

• Joonggon Kim, Florida State University