1. The Triality of Strain, Self-Control, and Eating Disorders
- Author
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LaVonda Evans, Turgut Ozkan, and Justin Gibson
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Longitudinal study ,Adolescent ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Psychological Distress ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Self-Control ,Feeding and Eating Disorders ,Young Adult ,Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) ,Risk Factors ,Juvenile delinquency ,medicine ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Applied Psychology ,Adult health ,media_common ,Problem Behavior ,General strain theory ,Self-control ,Antisocial Personality Disorder ,medicine.disease ,United States ,Aggression ,Eating disorders ,General theory ,Sexual abuse ,Juvenile Delinquency ,Female ,Crime ,Psychology ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
This study examines the potential relationship between eating disorders and antisocial behaviors through the lenses of the general theory of crime and general strain theory. We utilized the data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of juveniles in grades 7 to 12 in the United States between 1994 and 2008. We constructed three separate measures of eating disorders and examined their relationships with both petty theft and aggressive behaviors. Results indicated that previous traumatic experiences (such as sexual abuse) are consistent risk factors for eating disorders, and that eating disorders can increase antisocial involvements. Moreover, eating disorders can diminish self-control and agitate depressed moods, which may increase the likelihood of both petty theft and violent conduct, and this effect can extend to later adulthood as well.
- Published
- 2019