The Control Theory Essay examples

The social control theory suggests that “people engage in criminal activity when their bond to society has weakened” (Ortiz, 2011). This theory

The underlying background suppositions behind the social control theories are grounded in the classical school of criminology—the belief in the rational mind, an ability to make choices, and a belief that individuals

Social control theory and social learning theory are two theories that suggest why deviant behavior is chosen to be acted upon by some individuals and not others. Both take a different stance on the issue. Social control theory suggests people’s behavior is based on their bonds to society, if they have strong bonds to society they conform and if not they have a tendency to act out or become involved in criminal or deviant behavior. Social learning theory suggest that through vicarious learning people learn from observing others and based on what the observe make the choice of whether to copy those actions to obtain desired results or chose not to if

Individuals with strong and stable attachments to others within society, such as family, friends and community institutions are presumed to be less likely to violate social norms, because such behaviour would distress these respective attachments (Reginald et al, 1995). Second, is commitment, meaning having an individual investment in social activities. For example, an individual who has invested time, energy and resources into conforming to social norms, such as educational and career goals, is less likely to become involved in a gang (Goodwill 2009). In particular, since they have invested heavily in conforming these individuals have more to lose than those who have not invested in their future in a conforming fashion. (Reginald et al, 1995). Third, is involvement, which Hirschi utilized in order to illustrate that when large amounts of structured time are invested in socially approved activities, such as sports or work, the time for available deviance is drastically reduced (Reginald et al, 1995). Specifically, active engagement in conventional endeavors acts as a powerful protective factor against delinquency (Huebner and Betts, 2002). Hirschi’s final element of social bonding is belief. This pertains to an actor’s level of belief in the moral validity of shared social values and norms (Reginald et al, 1995). When an individual strongly believes in the conventional norms they are less likely to deviate from

This theory assumes that deviance results from when an individuals bond to society is broken or weak (Chriss, 2007). When an individual has strong bonds they are less likely to commit crimes. The theory suggests that the more attached a person is to people in a society the more they will believe in the values, and the more they invest in and are involved the less likely they are to deviate (Chriss, 2007). There are four main elements to the social bonding theory they are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. One of the best predictors of delinquency is the childs attachment to their parents, if there is less of an attachment they are more likely to partake in delinquent activities. The attachment is most important as the bonds people form with those around them help guide their lives, and all other elements are contingent on attachment. The content of beliefs also plays a crucial role as well through the idea that parent may be distant from a child who is about to commit a deviant act, and the parents could have been present when the temptation rises (Chriss, 2007). The child is not asking themselves what their parents may think because they do not have a bond sufficient enough with them to care. Where as children who do ask themselves this exhibit a stronger moral component of attachment, if they have the belief that their parents would not agree they are less likely to

This theory has a different focus than typical theories; in this theory, conformity is emphasized, specifically, with the focus being on the reasoning behind why people conform and obey society’s rules, instead of why people deviate from norms. This theory operates under the basic assumption that delinquent behavior occurs because of a person’s bond or tie to society being weak or non-existent. There are four elements that make up this bond: attachment to others, commitment, involvement, and belief. Thus, the stronger the bond’s element, the less likely a person is going to engage in crime; likewise, the weaker the element of the bond is, the more likely a person is going to commit crime. Also, all four identified elements are said to be connected and interdependent, so a weakness in one element will more than likely lead to weaknesses in the other elements. In other words, these elements control a person’s level of conformity; crime control stems from one’s ties to conventional society. This theory also assumes that people are born naturally selfish; however, this is not a born tendency or trait. Rather, this means that the motivation for crime in society is evenly spread out since everyone has the same inclination for crime. Similarly, under this theory, the way people are controlled by society through these bonds is

Sociologists have developed six main sociological theories of deviance. Emile Durkheim’s Anomie theory suggests that people become disconnected from society because they feel that the norms are inadequate examples for behavior. Durkheim said, “We must not say that an action shocks the common conscience because it is criminal, but rather that it is criminal because it shocks the common conscience.” The strain theory by Robert K. Merton suggests that American are geared toward deviance because of a lack of legitimate options to attain the monetary goal that Americans emphasize (Tischler, p. 146). Travis Hirschi posed the control theory which focuses on the importance of the people around you to mold you into a regular lifestyle. He said that there are four main points to why someone will become deviant or not: attachment to others, commitment to conformity, involvement

Over the past few decades criminologists and sociologists have developed several theories in an effort to try and explain what causes some human beings to commit crimes. One of the most well-known theories that tries to explain why criminals commit crimes is called the social control or social bond theory developed by a theorist named Travis Hirschi. Hirschi also wanted to figure out why people don’t commit crimes instead of just figuring out why they do and he tried his best to answer those questions using his social control theory.The social control theory developed by Mr. Hirschi states that a person who has bonds with family, friends, the community, or

The social control theory asserts that an individual, who is involved with a community and has strong family relations, will be less likely to engage in illegal activity than those who do not. If an individual is capable of establishing a positive link with community members, becomes involved and participates in community programs, such as youth, elderly, religious-spiritual, and anti-crime, the individual will most likely refrain from engaging in criminal activity. He or she will consider the consequences of a criminal act prior to committing the act (Psychological Glossary, 2010).

Their purpose was to measure the children’s individual strains both at home and school by asking them a series of “yes or no” questions. Interviews also included surveys from the children’s main teacher and primary guardian, usually the mother, and the questions tended to be more comprehensive. Results that were similar between the mother and teacher were then measured and compared. They found that teacher’s responses to the survey tended to be less biased than a juveniles primary guardian. This allowed them to accurately compare the children’s level of constraint and personality traits from all major influencing environments. As a result, Agnew et al. (2002) found that juveniles who are high in negative emotionality and show low constraint tend to experience more strain and therefore are more likely to act as a delinquent or participate in criminal behavior. This correlation not only makes sense but also is important because it provides empirical researchers with an explanation as to why some juvenile’s are more likely to react to strain with delinquency and crime (Agnew et al., 2002). Agnew et al. (2002) choose to focus on the traits of negative emotionality and constraint for a couple of reasons. The first reason being “it allows us to draw on the extensive psychological research on the nature and origin of these traits. Second, the impact of low self-control on crime is interpreted largely in terms of control theory” (Agnew et al., 2002,

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) control theory regards parental controls as key in developing self-control, which is related to crime. People who show low self-control tend to live in the here and now, whereas those who have better self-control like to defer gratification. For example, criminal acts provide excitement, have few long-term benefits, and require little preparation. Moreover, they cause pain to their victims, which is correlated to being self-centered and insensitive – both qualities of people with low self-control.

Weak controls increase the likelihood of delinquency, like theft and violence are often the easiest or most expedient way for people to get what they want, when a person has a weak control of his mind and emotions is more vulnerable to get in the delinquency life. For example, a person who is always involve with gang members and drug dealers is more vulnerable to be involve in that life. Another example, could be when a person is being bully, rejected by others in the school, the kids who suffer this type of emotions tend to become serial killers or

Rational choice theory and social control theory both show why an individual may commit a criminal act, but they both also draw criticism of their approach. Rational choice theory critics point out that “The first problem with the theory has to do with explaining collective action. That is, if individuals simply base their actions on calculations of personal profit, why would they ever choose to do something that will benefit others more than themselves?” (Crossman, 2015). The theory focuses only on the individual’s mindset and doesn’t take into account any of their social structure. The society an individual grows up in may make them more prone to commit crime. Social control theory, in particular the study conducted by Travis Hirschi, also

In 1969, a man named Travis Hirschi wrote and proposed something called the Social Control Theory. This theory can be applied in numerous kinds of ways when trying to address and solved social problems dealing with adolescents delinquent behavior. Before we can try to apply the Social Bond Theory, we must first understand the components and definition of the theory. Once we have a firm grasp of the theory, we can then look into our own lives and programs within our communities, to possibly provide support to strengthen the validity of the Social Bond Theory.

As the nineties began, the general theory of crime became the most prominent criminological theory ever proposed; furthermore, it is empirically recognized as the primary determinant in deviant and criminal behaviors. Known also as the self-control theory, the general theory of crime can most simply be defined as the absence or lack of self-control that an individual possesses, which in turn may lead them to commit unusual and or unlawful deeds. Authored by educator Michael R. Gottfredson and sociologist Travis Hirschi, A General Theory of Crime (1990) essentially “dumbed down” every theory of crime into two words, self-control. The widely accepted book holds that low self-control is the main reason that a person initiates all crimes, ranging from murder and rape to burglary and embezzlement. Gottfredson and Hirschi also highlighted, in A General Theory of Crime (1990), that low self-control correlates with personal impulsivity. This impulsive attitude leads individuals to become insensitive to deviant behaviors such as smoking, drinking, illicit sex, and gambling (p. 90). The extreme simplicity, yet accuracy, of Gottfredson’s and Hirschi’s general theory of crime (self-control theory), make it the most empirically supported theory of criminal conduct, as well as deviant acts.