The Role of Low Self-Control as a Mediator between Trauma and Antisociality/Criminality in Youth

Pedro Pechorro, Matt DeLisi, Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves and João Pedro Oliveira
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Pedro Pechorro: School of Psychology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Matt DeLisi: Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Iowa State University, 203A East Hall, Ames, IA 50011-1070, USA
Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves: School of Psychology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
João Pedro Oliveira: School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies, Campo Grande, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-11

Abstract: Trauma exposure and low self-control are robustly associated with youth antisocial/criminal problems, but the interrelation of these constructs is unclear when taking into account both traumatic events and reactions. The objective of the present study is to examine self-control mediation effects related to trauma and juvenile delinquency, conduct disorder, crime seriousness, and aggression outcomes. The sample consisted of N = 388 male youth from Portugal (age, M = 16.01 years, SD = 1.03, age range = 13–18 years). Path analysis procedures revealed that self-control partially mediates the relation between trauma events and the examined outcomes and fully mediates the relation between trauma reactions and the examined outcomes. Research on youth trauma should examine both trauma events and trauma reactions because they have differential effects on low self-control and antisocial/criminal outcomes.

Keywords: aggression; conduct disorder; juvenile delinquency; mediation; self-control; trauma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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