Social Control Theory: Why Do People Commit Crime?

Although there are several theories as to why people commit crime, I mainly believe in one. Why doesn’t everyone commit crime? Some people do it so easily, yet you do not see everyone breaking the law. I believe that the social control theory explains all of this very well.

The social control theory was created by Travis Hirschi. While most theories ask why people commit crime, the social control theory asks why people do not commit crime. Hirschi believed that a social bond links people to their community prevents people from committing crime. There are four elements to this social bond.

This first element is attachment. This means that people are concerned about others’ feelings. In turn, they will be less likely to do something that is

wrong. Hirschi believed that attachments to school, parents, and friends help to prevent people from committing crime.
The second element is commitment. When people who are committed to their society are less likely to commit crimes. They are committed to their society when they’re successful in it. This is because they owe some of their success to the social system that gave them the opportunity to be successful.
Involvement is the third element.

When people are involved in conventional activities, they don’t have to time to commit crime. The idea of involvement is the backbone for many after school programs. Not only are these programs fun for children but it also keeps them busy.

The fourth and final element is beliefs. People who believe in the conventional value system of society are less likely to commit crime. If someone were to have a weakened moral code they would be more likely to break the law.

I am a firm believer in the social control theory. I think that deep down everyone wants to commit some sort of crime. However, our social bond keeps us in check. I know there are many times in my life when I have wanted to destroy someone's car or take something that I could not afford. However, I know these things are wrong and my parents would be very disappointed in me. Right there is an example of attachment and beliefs.

To put this to the test I asked my stressed out friend a question. I asked her, "If it was socially acceptable, would you throw a chair through that window?" She responded with a resounding yes. I then ask her why she would not do it now. She said that she did not want to get kicked out of the school. This would be an example of

commitment.
My next example is going to include my brother. When he twenty-five years old, he and a few of his friends tried to rob a pawn shop for their guns. He ended up being locked up in the county jail for about ten months. Now, he and my mother were constantly getting into fights and constantly ran away when he was younger. He was also never very successful in life, constantly bouncing from one minimum pay job to the next. He was also regularly skipping school. With this free time, he would hang out with his friends, who were not very good people. I also remember him never taking responsibility for the things he did. He never showed any signs of morality. It was obvious that he was lacking in all four elements of the social bond.
On the other hand, when he became married and had children, it was obvious that he was doing better. He started to get better jobs and made better choices. He started to develop attachment. The cycle started over again, however, when he his wife cheated on him. They became divorced and he ended up losing custody of his children. Now, he is once again in the habit of always getting into trouble.
There are many stories like these. I believe that there are ways to help with this problem. One of the major ones is to open more after school programs that can appeal to children and teens. These programs need to especially be put into place in less economically developed neighborhoods. I believe that this would definitely reduce the crime rate. I also think there needs to be programs that help underqualified teenagers get part-time jobs. Part-time jobs can help teenagers by giving them something to do and preparing them for the real world. It can also lead to real successes which can lead to better commitment.
This is not just my personal opinion, there have been many studies that show that these types of programs can help increase involvement and commitment. In an issue of Afterschool Brief, it was said that, “Self-care and boredom can increase the likelihood that a young person will experiment with drugs and alcohol by as much as 50 percent.” They also said that, “teens who do not participate in afterschool programs are nearly three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and also more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual activity than teens not in afterschool programs (Afterschool Alliance).”
To be honest, I do not think that there is much that can be done with adult offenders. They have probably grown up without the social bond for so long that it is difficult for them to develop it. There are probably only a few ways that they could, however, they all involve that person helping themselves. They could form attachments or even begin to become more involved in their community.
I believe that everyone has the urge to break the law every once and a while. However, like the social control theory says, there are forces that are preventing us from doing so.