Is the criminogenic effect of exposure to peer delinquency dependent on the ability to exercise self-control? Results from three countries

• This study tests the interaction of self-control and delinquent peers in crime causation.
• Situational Action Theory serves as theoretical framework.
• Data come from self-report surveys conducted in three European countries.
• Results show that the delinquent peer effect is greater when self-control is low.
• The direction of the interaction is congruent with Situational Action Theory.

PurposeAssociation with delinquent peers is one of the most salient predictors of criminal behavior. Little is known, however, about whether the criminogenic peer effect is conditioned by individual characteristics such as the ability to exercise self-control.MethodsInformed by Situational Action Theory's principle of the conditional relevance of controls, the present article uses crime survey data from three European countries to examine whether the criminogenic effect of exposure to delinquent peers is dependent on adolescents' capability for self-control.ResultsResults suggest that the delinquent peer effect on self-reported offending is amplified when self-control is low.ConclusionThe fact that high self-control protects from detrimental peer influences is perfectly in line with Situational Action Theory's conceptualization of the perception-choice process.