This study evaluates the generality of self-control theory with a previously untested cultural group rarely studied by criminologists, the Deaf community. Survey data (n = 428) from participants attending a university that houses a college for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing were compared with a sample of “hearing” students. The findings support Gottfredson and Hirschi’s cultural invariance thesis as self-control was consistently able to predict a wide range of rule-breaking behaviors among the culturally distinct groups examined. However, several unexpected results challenge the parental management thesis. In particular, exposure to effective parenting techniques was a significant contributor to variations in self-control for the hearing, but not the Deaf sample. Additionally, self-control did not fully mediate the relationship between child-rearing experiences and norm violating behaviors for the Deaf sample. Implications of these findings are discussed.

本研究评估了自我控制理论与以前未经检验的文化群体（很少被犯罪学家研究）的普遍性，即聋人社区。调查数据（n = 428）来自一所大学的参与者，该大学设有聋人和听力障碍学院，并与“听力”学生样本进行了比较。这些发现支持 Gottfredson 和 Hirschi 的文化不变性论点，因为自我控制始终能够预测所检查的不同文化群体中的各种违反规则的行为。然而，一些意想不到的结果挑战了父母管理的论点。特别是，接触有效的育儿技巧是导致听力自我控制发生变化的重要因素，但聋人样本则不然。此外，自我控制并没有完全调解聋人样本的育儿经历与违反规范行为之间的关系。讨论了这些发现的含义。