Travis Hirschi's Social Control Theory Analysis

Furthermore can formal social control institutions such as the criminal justice system and the government provide the best aspect of producing conformity and law abiding behaviour? Hirschi’s (1969) social control theory is concerned with what effect formal institutions have on conformity in individuals and in particular, how law abiding behaviour is produced due to these institutions (Walklate, 2005). However Wilson (2007) argues that formal methods of social control such as the criminal justice system are merely there to control and segregate delinquents and offenders who have not had adequate socialisation, which is where social mores are learnt and when conformity is produced, and that an alternative form of social control such as restorative

In contrast to the psychiatric model, the social approach has its focus on the interactions that take place between the family and society. Here, the emphasis is put on the interaction between the family and the society, which exerts pressure. The defect does not lay in the individual, but is within the system. The stress that society places on the family increases tension which can leave the family vulnerable to dysfunction. Frequent stress causes friction such as financial problems and a socially isolated life.(Cicchetti & Calrson, 1991) . The Control Theory of Delinquency suggests that delinquent acts are a product of a disconnection between the individual and the society. The lack of social support that places parents into a high risk category for abuse is a broken bond between the individual and the

Additionally, the social control theory tells us social factors such as religion, family, financial status and school have in reference to the choices and behavior of an individual. Most of us have the potential to develop as a criminal, however, most of us have a connection to the community. Usually crime happens when circumstances tied to people with weakened or broken paths. People born evil, need controlling in order to be good. Hirsch’s perspectives listed below.

Juvenile delinquency has been approach from many different perspectives including biological, psychological and social theories. All these on crime seek to explain why people commit crimes and address either the preventative measures a society should adapt or the punishment and rehabilitation of criminals. Although all theories are valid in a pursuit to explain juvenile delinquency, a combination of social control theory and economics strain theory formulate a comprehensive approach to juvenile delinquency. Early development of social control stated that children with weak self-concepts or poor self-esteem are at a higher risk of delinquency that those who felt good about themselves. If a child is confident, they are more likely to resist

According the Travis Hirschi in his social control theory which states that strong and weak ties to family/community affect the behaviors of juvenile. The theory discusses 4 elements of social bonds which are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2011). Attachment is persons close affectionate ties to others (i.e. parents, siblings, teachers etc.) (Lilly et al., 2011). Commitment is fear of law-breaking behavior. Involvement is participating in conventional acts to keep one out of trouble (i.e. extracurricular activities) (Lilly et al., 2011). Belief is making an impression that is highly dependent upon social reinforcement (Lilly et al., 2011). For a long time, it has been said that children who live in broken homes increases the likelihood of participating in criminal acts. They will go out and find comfort in the streets by hanging out with gang members and other neighborhood

Hirschi's social control theory for is here to seek to explain delinquency, not adult crimes (Adler, Mueller, Laufer 2011).  It is based on the bonds that the children have in their life, and if they lack on these certain areas they are more likely to be more involved into crimes. Those bond areas are, attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief (Adler, Mueller, Laufer 2011). However, when the social control life is aligned with the three-strike laws, the social control life  is not as effective when it comes down  to the three-strike laws. The life course theories are not as of great in being supportive in solving crimes one maybe involved in. These theories also do not have anyway of deterring the crimes, they only are there to teach

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.

Obviously something is going on in today’s society if more and more children are committing delinquent crimes. Sometimes a researcher has to get to what he or she thinks is the root of the problem to figure out what spawns a certain issue. What provokes a child to become delinquent and what makes the child gravitate so easily towards this lifestyle? It is necessary to explore how family life influences juvenile delinquency. Juveniles are more likely to become juvenile delinquents if there is little structure provided for them in their families. Children who are rejected by their parents, who grow up in homes with considerable conflict, or who are inadequately supervised are at the greatest risk of becoming delinquent. Literature

Using a theory from 1969 by Travis Hirschi, researchers begin to explore the causes of delinquency using Hirschi’s social control theory which is often referred to as social bonding theory. Hirschi’s theory states youth participate in delinquency because they lack strong affective attachments to their parents and this attachment to family encourages conformity by monitoring behavior and applying regular discipline (Mack, Lieber, Featherstone, & Monserud, 2006).

However, by 1990, Gottfredson and Hirschi had “abandoned the idea that continuing social bonds insulate against illegal involvement in favor of the proposition that self-control, internalized early in life, determines who will fall prey to the seductions of

Over the years, countless efforts have been made to find a comprehensive explanation for delinquency. The results of these efforts have offered possible reasons as being both biological and social. It is still debatable as to what forces have the greatest influence on youth crime, but it is undoubted that several factors clearly make an impact. The direct relationships a child has with concrete social elements, like his family and friends, are likely to give some intimation of his involvement in crime. However, it must be noted that there are more abstract contexts for socialization that also exist as potential explanations for a child’s behavior.

The social control approach to understanding crime is one of the three major sociological perspectives in contemporary criminology. Control theorists believe that conformity to the rules of society is produced by socialization and maintained by ties to people and institutions— to family members, friends, schools, and jobs. Put briefly, crime and delinquency result when the individual’s bond to society is weak or broken. As social bonds increase in strength, the costs of crime to the individual increase as well.

The lack of respect or intergradation within society plays a greater role to crime and criminal behavior. I believed if a person values society, appreciate social orders and engaged themselves within society then crimes would not happen. Hirschi’s theory of social bonding best explained my view on crime and criminal behavior within society. He assumed that all humans can commit criminal acts because it is our nature. If not criminal acts, then born selfish, needy and greedy. It takes the structure of parents, communities and the environment to teach children about structure, rules, morality, and social conducts. As children start to develop a sense of self-awareness, they begin to form an idea of who they want to be within society due to positive or negative experiences with society. As Hirschi suggested, the more attached a person is to society and its offerings, the more they believe in the values of conventional society and become more invested in the betterment of society which makes a person less likely to be deviant (Chriss, 2017). If a person has weak or a fractured bond with society and disregard the value of community, they are most likely to commit crimes. In order for a person to succeed at the unlikeliness of committing criminal offenses, Hirshci created the theory of social bond that assumes that individuals are predisposed to commit crime and that conventional bonds prevent or reduce offending. There are four elements of social bonding that helps to explain

When these elements break down, Hirschi suggests that an individual may then participate in criminal activities. For example, if one ceases to engage in typical social behavior (involvement) or have contact with other individuals (attachment), one may have the time to become involved in deviant criminal activity.

This chapter considers what others have said about the contributing factors that influence juvenile delinquency. This section additionally analyzes discoveries from past research, and present an exhaustive survey of past works. This chapter also introduces theoretical frame works that attempt to explain the distinctive causes of juvenile delinquency. The focus of this research is placed on the theoretical frame works of social control theory and attachment theory.