Low Self-Control Theory: Understanding the Stability and Versatility of Crime, Slides of Criminology

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Low Self-Control Theory

Crime and the Life Course

SOC 401

Two Mechanisms Producing Stability in

Crime

• James Heckman: Unobserved heterogeneity vs. state dependence in employment
• Unobserved Heterogeneity ▫ Individual differences that are stable over time. ▫ E.g., IQ, personality, sex, race ▫ If their effects on crime do not change over time, they will produce stability in crime.
• State Dependence ▫ Committing crime at one time changes the probability of committing a crime at a second time. ▫ E.g., labeling and stigma, peer associations, learning, opportunities.

State Dependence

Crime Time 1 Crime Time 2 Crime Time 3

Crime Time 1 Crime Time 2 Crime Time 3

Correlated over time

Both State Dependence and Unobserved

Heterogeneity

Crime Time 1 Crime Time 2 Crime Time 3

Crime Time 1 Crime Time 2

Unobserved Heterogeneity

Crime Time 3

Correlated over time

Assumptions of Control Theories

• Consensus model of society : Society consists of a single moral order
• Crime is not relative , but is invariant across time and societies
• Everyone is equally-motivated to commit crime

▫ Crime is not learned ▫ Explain conformity, not crime

A General Theory of Crime: Low Self

Control Theory

• Universal definition of crime: force or fraud committed for self-interested gain.
• Assumes criminal acts are short-lived, immediately gratifying, simple, easy, and exciting.
• Crime shares much with some noncriminal behavior: gambling, accidents, skydiving

Identifying the Concept of Low Self Control

H&G: Look at modal characteristics of crime and infer modal characteristics of criminals:

Characteristics of Crimes Characteristics of Criminals Exciting & risky Seek excitement and risk Immediately pleasurable Seek immediate pleasure No delayed gratification Cannot delay gratification No manual or academic skill Lack manual or academic skill Entails suffering of others Indifferent to suffering of others Self-centered Tend to be self-centered Impulsive Tend to be impulsive Low tolerance for frustration Have a low tolerance for frustration

Adds up to low self-control: A stable trait like personality. Doesn’t change throughout the life course (Note: example of unobserved heterogeneity.)

Low Self Control and Stability of Crime

• People high on self-control have low propensity to crime at all times
• People low on self-control have high propensity to commit crimes at all times
• But they don’t have to: Depends on opportunity and the situation ▫ Given a crime opportunity, individuals will calculate costs and benefits of crime ▫ But persons low on self control will have less control (seek immediate rewards and discount long term outcomes)
• Explains the stability in crime (note: unobserved heterogeneity)

Low Self Control & Age Distribution

• Distinguish between criminal propensity (low self-control) and criminal events (situations)
• Criminal propensity is low self-control: stable individual trait causing high propensity throughout the life course
• Criminal events are the “event-like” character of crimes: ▫ Criminal opportunity: suitable targets and capable guardians ▫ Rational choice: weighing of costs and benefits ▫ Physical ability and skills ▫ Age
• Serious offenses are more “event-like” and explained both by propensity and criminal events
• Nonserious crimes (e.g., petty theft, vandalism) are not “event-like” (no special opportunities needed) and are explained by propensity only
• This explains the age effect, which operates through criminal events

Origins of Low Self Control

• Early parental child-rearing ▫ Caring parents will identify undesirable behavior and punish it through disapproval. Result: High self-control ▫ Some parents don’t recognize such behavior or fail to punish it. Result: Low self-control
• Influences: Attachment, caring parents, parental criminality and low self-control, many children in the home
• Schools play a secondary role (require parental cooperation). ▫ Teachers monitor and punish behavior to maintain order. ▫ High self-control is required for doing homework, getting good grades, getting along with others, liking school (attachment and commitment

Delinquent Peers and Delinquency

Correlation between delinquent peers and delinquent behavior is not causal ▫ Spurious: Low self-control causes delinquency and delinquent peer association ▫ Reverse causal order (selection effect): “Birds of a feather flock together” ▫ Measurement artifact (asking respondent about delinquent peers tells us about his/her own delinquency)

Delinquent Peers and Crime are

Spuriously Correlated

Low Self Control

Delinquent Peers

Crime

Life Course Transitions and Crime

• Life course events have no effect on crime.
• Work, marriage, military are spuriously correlated with crime. ▫ Confounding variable: low self control. ▫ Low self-control selects for poor jobs, divorce, and desertion. ▫ High self-control selects for good jobs, marriage, and military service.
• If you controlled for low self-control, the correlation between life course events becomes zero.

Life Course Events and Crime: Spurious due

to Low Self Control

Low Self Control

Life Course Events

Crime