Graduation Year

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Criminology

Major Professor

John K. Cochran, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Christine S. Sellers, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Shayne Jones, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Ráchael A. Powers, Ph.D.

Keywords

general theory of crime, gender comparisons, intimate partner violence, structural equation modeling

Abstract

This study focuses on the interrelationships between gender, self-control and intimate partner violence (IPV). The sample consists of 960 undergraduate and graduate university students who are currently in a dating relationship. A series of bivariate and multivariate analyses are used to: 1) determine if self-control and IPV vary across gender and 2) assess the effect of gender on the relationship between self-control and IPV. Overall, results provide partial support for Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) general theory of crime. Self-control operated similarly on IPV for both males and females, supporting the gender-neutrality of their theory. However, the gender gap in crime, as it relates to self-control, remains in question as females were more likely than males to commit more types of IPV. The implications of these findings, limitations of the current study, and directions for future research are discussed.

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