EXPLORING THE LINK BETWEEN LOW SELF-CONTROL AND VIOLENT VICTIMIZATION TRAJECTORIES IN ADOLESCENTS

Although the relationship between Gottfredson and Hirschi's self-control theory and crime is well known in the literature, much less research has addressed the possible link of low self-control and violent victimization. Drawing from the limited research in this area, the authors explore the trajectories of low self-control and violent victimization among a sample of adolescents from the Gang Resistance Education and Training data. The results appear to suggest that self-control is largely stable and that self-control trajectories are linked to violent victimization trajectories over time. Study limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.