The intricate nature of vulnerability to victimization: Low self-control, age, and economic status

The association between low self-control and victimization is well documented, but it remains unclear for whom low self-control matters most. We test whether low self-control is associated with victimization risk and, more importantly, whether this effect varies between poor and non-poor children and at different ages. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, we employ three-level multivariate Rasch models with a logit form of Item Response Theory (IRT). Findings reveal that victimization risk is greater among those with low self-control, even after controlling for prior violent offenses, risky lifestyles, and neighborhood structural characteristics. Contrary to expectations, this effect is not influenced by age and is stronger for non-poor children than for poor children. We suggest that cognitive-behavioral interventions to reduce victimization risk can be effective for all ages, especially when including youth from non-poor families. These findings imply that, from developmental and life-course perspectives, risk factors have cumulative and interactive effects over time, suggesting a highly complex system in which age and poverty intertwine with other factors to shape victimization risk. Future research should explore the multifaceted interplay of risk factors for victimization using life-course approaches.