The Stability of Self-Control Among South Korean Adolescents

Ilhong Yun, Boise State University
Anthony Walsh, Boise State University

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This is an author-produced, peer-reviewed version of this article. The final, definitive version of this document can be found online at International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, published by SAGE. Copyright restrictions may apply. DOI: 10.1177/0306624X09358072

Abstract

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime has been widely tested. Yet, one of their key hypotheses—the stability of self-control hypothesis—has received little attention from researchers, and no known study has examined the applicability of the stability hypothesis in a non-western context. Given Gottfredson and Hirschi’s claim that their low self-control theory transcends cultural and national boundaries, we tested the hypothesis with a nationally representative sample of South Korean adolescents using five year panel data. Consistent with studies conducted in the U.S., our results offer partial support for Gottfredson and Hirschi’s stability hypothesis. We also provide comparative interpretations of our findings in the South Korean context.