Child maltreatment, low self-control, and delinquent behaviour of early-aged adolescents

Until now, there has been limited research on the specific relationship between exposure to child maltreatment, the development of low self-control and subsequent delinquency among non-western samples from a general theory of crime perspective. To address this research gap, this study explores the role of low self-control as a mediator between exposure to child maltreatment and delinquent behaviour of South Korean children. By using longitudinal data from South Korean children, structural equation modeling was employed to examine this relationship. The results of the analysis indicated that child maltreatment significantly influenced the development of low self-control in children. Also, the findings revealed that low self-control mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and delinquent behaviour. In other words, consistent with the proposition of the general theory of crime, children’s low self-control played a mediating role in the impact of exposure to child maltreatment on their engagement in delinquent behaviour. Based on these findings, the importance of early interventions to prevent child maltreatment and foster the self-control level of children is suggested.