Beyond Bars: Unraveling Juvenile Recidivism through Low Self-Control Personality Traits and Informal Social Controls

• In Event: Psychosocial Risk Factors over the Life Course

Abstract

This study explored the complex relationship between low self-control (LSC) personality traits and informal social controls in predicting recidivism during emerging adulthood for juvenile offenders. Leveraging the general theory of crime the age-graded theory of crime, I investigated whether informal social controls were mediators in the relationship between LSC and re-offending. Specifically, I assessed how personality traits related to low self-control—such as impulsivity, social insensitivity, and egotism influenced the likelihood of reoffending and the potential role of informal social bonds (e.g., family support, intimate relationships, employment stability) in mitigating this risk. Data were drawn from 452 the Incarcerated Serious and Violent Young Offender Study (ISVYOS), a longitudinal dataset that tracked participants from adolescence into their late twenties, with key measures of personality, social environment, and criminal outcomes. Findings indicated a significant direct effect of low self-control on recidivism, where youth with lower self-regulation were more prone to reoffending as they transitioned into adulthood. Lastly, the mediation analysis found that informal social controls emerged as a partial mediator, which suggested that strong social bonds can dampen the influence of low self-control on criminal behavior.

Author

• Leo Tien, Simon Fraser University