Stacey Nofziger

Nofziger demonstrates that self-control theory is a substantial predictor of juvenile violence.

Although juvenile violence is a growing concern, most examinations of it are limited in the behaviors studied and the theories used. Nofziger addresses these issues by applying a test of Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) General Theory of Crime to an examination of a range of violent and intimidating acts by juveniles. She explores bullying, fighting, and weapon related behaviors and tests the effects of self-control and opportunity, the key elements in this theory, on these behaviors with survey data on nearly 1200 juveniles. The analysis indicates that greater self-control significantly decreases intimidation and violence and that greater opportunity increases each form of behavior. Therefore, this study supports self-control theory and suggests that lessened self-control and increased opportunity encourage the types of behaviors under investigation.

Table of Contents

1. Juvenile Intimidation, Violence, and Social Control
2. Data Collection and Sample Characteristics
3. Measuring the Key Concepts of Self-Control and Opportunity
4. Structural Equation Modeling: Predicting Intimidation and Violence with Self-Control Theory
5. Discussion and Conclusion
   
References
Appendices
Index