NCJ Number
173912
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 35 Issue: 2 Dated: May 1998 Pages: 123-147
Date Published
1998
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Data from 555 adults in Cincinnati, Ohio, were used to determine whether the general theory of crime presented by Gottfredson and Hirschi can account for the gender gap in crime and, when rival theories are included in the analysis, whether the theory can explain criminal behavior for both males and females.
Abstract
The central thesis of the general theory of crime is that people who lack self-control are predisposed toward criminal and deviant behaviors. The study data came from a self-report survey mailed to a random sample of the general population aged 18 and older living in Cincinnati. The response rate was 46.6 percent. Participants were asked how many times during the past 12 months they had committed any of 20 criminal acts. The items used to assess self-control strain, bonding, and differential association theories were derived from previous research and were presented in Likert-type scales. Results indicated that the relationship of gender to crime became insignificant when self-control was introduced into the analysis. Furthermore, when males and females were analyzed separately, self-control was related, albeit differently, to males' and females' criminal involvement. Findings suggested that the general theory of Gottfredson and Hirschi should be incorporated into future empirical assessments of gender and crime. Tables, notes, appended table and list of measurement items, and 103 references (Author abstract modified)