Poster #93 - Exploring Interactions of Self-Control, Morality and Peer Delinquency among Justice-Involved Juveniles: Random Effects Models

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

This study extends Situational Action Theory (SAT) and its Developmental Ecological Action (DEA) model by exploring within- and between-individual variations in offending, addressing a gap in prior research. Using the data from Pathways to Desistance study for 1,354 serious adolescent offenders, it examines the interplay between morality, self-control, and delinquent peer associations. Findings show that adolescents with stronger morality, higher self-control, and fewer delinquent peers report lower offending rates. Increases in criminogenic exposure and declines in morality or self-control heighten crime risk over time. The interaction results reveal that self-control reduces offending most effectively when paired with strong moral values. Self-control and morality exert stronger effects in highly criminogenic environments with higher peer delinquency. Within-individual results show morality's influence grows as self-control strengthens or peer delinquency declines. These findings support the DEA model, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between crime propensity and environmental influences within a broader life-course framework.

Author

• Siying Guo, Wayne State University