Although there are many possible explanations for criminal behavior, Social Control Theory and General Deterrence Theory relate best to my life. Even though these theories tend to focus on different aspects, they connect to my life through my relationship with my family, friends, and extracurricular activities. Social Control Theory is a micro-level theory which means it focuses specifically on the interaction of the individual and society. If there is a weak bond between the individual and society it can lead to criminal activity, essentially, a strong bond prevents crime. Unlike other theories, Social Control Theory directly focuses on why people choose to not engage in crime. There are four constructs that create this theory which include attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. The first construct, attachment, relates to people and how close an individual is to whom they care about and how strong the affectional ties are, for example, to a family member or a friend. This concept states that if individuals have strong family bonds they will be less likely to commit crimes because the aspiring criminal cares about the opinions of those close to them. Social Control Theory addresses that attachments to parents are parent supervision are important in controlling delinquency (Akers & Sellers, 2013, pg. 118). The more adolescents are attached to the parts, the less likely they are to be delinquent (Akers & Sellers, 2013, pg. 118). As a child, I spent a lot of time with my parents – especially my mother. While I was in elementary school she chose to dedicate an hour of her night to help me with my homework if I needed the assistance. There were plenty of times when I chose to spend time with her simply because I enjoyed he... ... middle of paper ... ... because they are too preoccupied with these activities to become involved in criminal behavior. Different from commitment, involvement focuses strictly on whether or not a person is involved in an activity. In elementary school I started playing the violin in my school’s orchestra and spent my afternoons at the YMCA until my parents were able to pick me up from school so I was always engaged even when my parents were not around. By the time I started high school, I was involved in volleyball which took up majority of my time before and after school because of daily practices. Due to this I did not engage in criminal activity. Belief is the last construct of Social Control Theory. Simply, this states that Works Cited Akers, R. L., & Sellers, C. S. (2013). Criminological theories: Introduction, evaluation, and application. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Social control theory tries to explain why it is that all of us do not commit crime. Social control theory gained prominence during the 1960s. Travis Hirschi put forth his new theory that was built upon existing concepts of social control. His social control theory declared that ties to school, family, and other aspects of society serve to lessen one 's tendency for deviant behavior. Hirschi believes that because of the bond with co-workers, teachers, friends and family and activities such as education or career goals cause people to have less time to commit crimes. I would have to disagree to some extent. If you chose to hang out with a family member or friend that is into criminal behavior such as drugs or being involved with a gang, that
Wiatrowski, M.D., Griswold, D.B., & Roberts, M.K. (1981). Social control theory and delinquency. American Sociological Review, 46(5), 525-541.
Many parents believe they have little influence on their children’s lives. This is simply not true. At the ages of 10 -12 if the child does not have a strong bond with at least one parent, he or she might start to find that bond elsewhere, which can be negative. Studies show that securely attached adolescents are less likely to be involved in drinking, drugs and sexual behavior. Also, attachment relates to the belief bond. If the child is in a situation where he or she is tempted to commit a delinquent act, even though his or her parent is not physically there, the parent will psychologically be there is the belief bond is strong. This causes the child to question the activities he or she is faced with. So having strong attachments with parents will motivate children to making the right
The role of social influence plays a big part of our lives and with the social control theory it allows people to understand just how important it is for individuals to be involved with the social world around them. Social control theory originates from the
Social or bond control theory assumes that people, especially teenagers, will have delinquent acts when they are not controlled. In other words, whenever individual’s bond to society is weak, a person is likely to commit crimes. In the social control theory, there are four elements of the bond to conventional society that influence people’s behaviors, including attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief.
When it comes to criminal justice most of the crimes that are committed consists of killing and robbing. Killing and robing are crimes that are caused by lack of social bonding or lack of self-control. When we think about these theories they are telling us that it is always good for people to have social bonding in their life because strong social bonding invents self-control inside of a person’s mind. This helps us understand why a person was killed or why a person was robbed and these are the main things we seek in the career field of criminal justice.
First and foremost, the theory states that criminal behavior is learned, meaning that the behaviors of an individual are influenced and shaped by those they associate with (Clinard & Meier, 2015). The primary reference point here is the nuclear family. Parents teach their children how to walk and talk, who grow up with siblings or in some cases, elderly relatives. With good reason, it is widely held that these interactions create the foundation of the individual’s conception of societal norms and values. That being said, if the individual is capable of assessing proper behavior in society, they are also capable of learning what is considered
From a sociological perspective, explanation for criminality is found in two levels which are the subculture and the structural explanations. The sociological explanations emphasize aspects of societal arrangements that are external to the actor and compelling. A sociological explanation is concerned with how the structure of a society, institutional practices or its persisting cultural themes affect the conduct of its members. Individual differences are denied or ignored, and the explanation of the overall collective behavior is sought in the patterning of social arrangements that is considered to be both outside the actor and prior to him (Sampson, 1985).
Looking back at my past, I recall my mother and father’s relationship as if it were yesterday. I am only four years old, small and curious; I tended to walk around my home aimlessly. I would climb book shelves like a mountain explorer venturing through the Himalayans, draw on walls to open windows to my own imagination, or run laps around the living room rug because to me I was an Olympic track star competing for her gold medal; however my parents did not enjoy my rambunctious imagination. My parents never punished me for it but would blame each other for horrible parenting skills; at the time I did not understand their fights, but instead was curious about why they would fight.
While this may help adults desist from crime, it may not be as effective in helping juveniles. Most delinquency occurs during young adulthood and then the individual ages out of crime. When looking at juvenile desistance other explanations exist as to why some juveniles continue a life of crime and others desist. One idea places responsibility on the ability to make conscious decisions. A study, by Haigh, of desistance among juveniles and their transitional period to a law abiding life suggest that most juvenile offenders simply make the decision to stop committing crime. Haigh conducted the study using one on one interviews in order to capture the former offender’s interpretation as to why they stopped committing crime. Through the interviews she found that most juveniles held this preconceived idea that they had to commit crime based on where they lived. Crime was a part of a regular daily routine for many. Participants state things such as, “you have to do crime, if you don’t you get stomped on” or “we didn’t think it as dangerous, we got off on the buzz of doing it” (Haigh, 2009). Some did not have reasons as to why they made the decision to stop committing crime. Others stated that they wanted to stop committing crime because of new found relationships, making their parents happy, or from fear of being sent to jail. For this set of juveniles in the study it can be said that as they
High crime rates are an ongoing issue through the United States, however the motivation and the cause of crime has yet to be entirely identified. Ronald Akers would say that criminality is a behavior that is learned based on what an individual sees and observes others doing. When an individual commits a crime, he or she is acting on impulse based on actions that they have seen others engage in. Initially during childhood, individuals learn actions and behavior by watching and listening to others, and out of impulse they mimic the behavior that is observed. Theorist Ronald Akers extended Sutherland’s differential association theory with a modern viewpoint known as the social learning theory. The social learning theory states that individuals commit crime through their association with or exposure to others. According to Akers, people learn how to be offenders based on their observations around them and their association with peers. Theorist Akers states that for one, “people can become involved in crime through imitation—that is by modeling criminal conduct. Second, and most significant, Akers contended that definition and imitation are most instrumental in determining initial forays into crime” (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball 2011:57). Although Akers’ theory has been linked to juvenile delinquency in the past, it has also been tested as a possible cause of crime overall. Individuals learn from observation that criminal behavior is justifiable in certain circumstances. In connection with juvenile delinquency and crime, peers and intimate groups have the most effect on individuals when associated with criminal behavior. One is more likely to mimic the behavior of someone who they have close ties with, whether the behavior is justifiable or...
This paper describe about different types of control theories and the application of control theory in real world context. Social control theory is based on philosophical principles that individuals automatically would commit crime if they left alone with situation. In other words, we, all are born with criminal characteristics and learn to follow laws as we grow in society. Many sociologist and criminologist have suggested that acceptance of social norms and beliefs are a vital evidence of someone is a reputed member in society or a criminal. Control theories not only use to evaluate delinquent behavior of the juvenile populations, but also adult populations. Travis Hirschi’s social control is used more in the field of criminology and criminal
In order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the criminal behavior theories, the word theory needs to be defined. “A theory is an explanation. It tells why or how things are related to each other. A theory of crime explains why or how a certain thing or certain things are related to criminal behavior.” (Bohn and Vogel)
A critical issue, perhaps most injurious to our futures, involves the criminal tendencies of our youth. Juvenile delinquency is without a doubt one of the most crucial topics that we face in our society today. Children and teens do not only shape our future, but will also pave the footsteps for future generations. What prompts this criminal behavior? And why is the proportion of delinquents in society seemingly increasing? As we will see, many factors play a role in molding personality; these factors include gender, family, and schools.
The social structure theories suggest that social and economic forces in poor areas can lead individuals in these communities into criminal behavior patterns. The social structure theorists believe that social conditions influence an individual’s control behavior choices