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33 - Self-Control and Offending

from Part V - Capacity and Opportunity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2021

By
Travis C. Pratt  and
Kristin M. Lloyd
Edited by
Benjamin van Rooij  and
D. Daniel Sokol
Benjamin van Rooij
Affiliation:
School of Law, University of Amsterdam
D. Daniel Sokol
Affiliation:
University of Florida
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Summary

Abstract: Over the last three decades, self-control theory has established itself as one of the leading explanations of criminal and deviant behavior. At its core, the theory asserts that those with low self-control will be less likely to comply with the law (as well as other social norms). This chapter reviews the self-control perspective in terms of: (1) its origin and development within criminology, (2) its empirical status with respect to how well the theory predicts compliance/failure to comply with the law, (3) recent theoretical and empirical developments in the self-control model, and (4) what future research would be most useful to continue to explore in this theoretical tradition.

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The Cambridge Handbook of Compliance , pp. 489 - 498
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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