An Investigation of Neighborhood Disadvantage, Low Self-Control, and Violent Victimization Among Youth

This research combines social disorganization and self-control perspectives to understand personal victimization among youth. In doing so, several research questions are investigated to explore the independent and interactive influences on violent victimization risk. Using data from the Longitudinal Cohort Study in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN-LCS), results from several multivariate models show that, independent of various situational and lifestyle choices made by adolescents, low self-control increases the likelihood of violent victimization. Further analysis shows that this association varies across levels of neighborhood concentrated disadvantage; low self-control's influence in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods dissipates while it is amplified for those living in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods. The implications of these findings are discussed.