Self-Control, Risky Lifestyles, and Victimization: A Study With a Sample of Chinese School Youth

• Published in: Criminal Justice and Behavior
• Main Authors: Ren, Ling, He, Ni “Phil”, Zhao, Ruohui, Zhang, Hongwei
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2016
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854816674758; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0093854816674758; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/0093854816674758

Although the self-control–victimization link is now well established both theoretically and empirically within the North Atlantic circle, empirical testing of this linkage is lacking in the Far East where self-control has always been an intrinsic feature of its traditional culture. More recently, the coupling of lifestyle–routine activities theory with self-control has resulted in better understanding of both the individual and situational contexts associated with victimization experiences. This study examines the predictive power of low self-control on various forms of victimization and the mediating effects of risky lifestyles on such relationship in the Chinese setting. The data were collected from a sample of 2,961 high school students in a southern Chinese city. The results of logistic regression reveal that low self-control is positively associated with both violent and property victimizations, net of social attachment and demographic factors. In addition, risky lifestyle factors partially mediate the effects of low self-control on victimization.