Impact of Societal Vulnerability and Violent Values on Self-Control in a Belgium Sample of Youth: A Gender Comparison

• NCJ Number: 245087
• Journal: Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2013 Pages: 13-31
• Author(s): Claire Gavray; Nicole Vettenburg; Lieven Pauwels; Ruben Brondeel
• Date Published: February 2013
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study contributes to the study of self-control among adolescents by testing how self-control is affected by societal vulnerability and violent values.

Abstract

The present study contributes to the study of self-control among adolescents by testing how self-control is affected by societal vulnerability and violent values and by investigating how (in)variant this relationship is for boys and girls. The Belgian International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD-2) data were used to assess to what extent positive attitudes toward violence can be seen as mediators in the relationship between societal vulnerability and self-control. The findings suggest that violent values mediate the relationship between societal vulnerability and self-control. Despite results indicating higher self-control among females, when conducting the analyses separately by gender, the authors found that the relationship between societal vulnerability and self-control was very similar for boys and girls. It is concluded that societally vulnerable boys and girls are equally affected by the intermediate mechanism of violent values. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.