Despite a well-established body of research demonstrating that others’ evaluations of a person’s physical attractiveness carry significant meaning, researchers have largely ignored how self-perceptions of physical attractiveness relate to offending behaviors. Applying general strain theory and using eight waves of panel data from the Adolescent Academic Context Study, we explore how self-perceptions of attractiveness relate to offending as youth progress through school. Results demonstrate that youth who perceive themselves as more attractive engage in more—not less—offending. Depression, which is treated as a form of negative affect, does not appear to mediate this relationship. We conclude by raising attention to the possibility that being “good-looking” may actually be a key risk factor for crime.

尽管大量研究表明，他人对一个人外表吸引力的评价具有重要意义，但研究人员在很大程度上忽视了自我对外表吸引力的看法与冒犯行为之间的关系。应用一般应变理论并使用青少年学术背景研究的八波面板数据，我们探讨了随着青少年在学校的进步，对吸引力的自我认知与犯罪之间的关系。结果表明，那些认为自己更具吸引力的年轻人会更多地而不是更少地犯罪。抑郁症被视为一种负面情绪，但似乎并不能调节这种关系。最后，我们提请人们注意“好看”实际上可能是犯罪的一个关键风险因素的可能性。