Social Bond Theory Self-Control Theory

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Social Bond TheorySelf-Control Theory

• Travis HirschiMichael Gottfredson

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Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi

• Social Process Theories
• Social Control Theories
• Causes of Delinquency (1969)
• Social Bond Theory
• Attachment
• Commitment
• Involvement
• Belief

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Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi

• Attachment refers to a persons sensitivity to
  and interest in others.

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Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi

• Commitment involves the time, energy, and effort
  expended in conventional lines of action, such as
  getting an education and saving money for the
  future.

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Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi

• Heavy involvement in conventional activities
  leaves little time for illegal behavior.

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Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi

• People who live in the same social settings often
  share common moral beliefs they may adhere to
  such values as sharing, sensitivity to rights of
  others, and admiration for the legal code.

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Testing Social Bond Theory

• Hirschis Supporting Research
• Youths who were strongly attached to their
  parents were less likely to commit criminal acts.
• Commitment to conventional values, such as
  striving to get a good education and refusing to
  drink alcohol and cruise around, was indicative
  of conventional behavior.
• Youths involved in conventional activity, such as
  homework, were less likely to engage in criminal
  behavior.
• Youths involved in unconventional behavior, such
  as smoking and drinking, were more delinquency
  prone.
• Youths who maintained weak and distant
  relationships with people tended toward
  delinquency.
• Those who shunned unconventional acts were
  attached to their peers.
• Delinquents and nondelinquents shared similar
  beliefs about society.

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Testing Social Bond Theory

• Opposing Views
• Friendship
• Not all elements of the bond are equal
• Deviant peers and parents
• Restricted in scope
• Changing bonds
• Crime and social bonds

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Self-Control Theory Travis Hirschi Michael
Gottfredson

• Latent Trait Theories
• General Theory of Crime (GTC)
• A General Theory of Crime (1990)
• Self-Control Theory

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Self-Control Theory Travis Hirschi Michael
Gottfredson

• Differences of Social Bond Theory Self-control
  Theory
• A General Theory of Crime (1990)
• Integration of
• Biosocial
• Psychological
• Routine activities
• Rational Choice Theories

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Self-Control Theory Travis Hirschi Michael
Gottfredson

• In GTC Gottfredson and Hirschi consider the
  criminal offender and the criminal act as
  separate concepts

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Self-Control Theory Travis Hirschi Michael
Gottfredson

• Criticisms
• Tautological
• Different classes of criminals
• Ecological / Individual differences
• Racial and gender differences
• Moral beliefs
• Peer influence
• People change
• Modest relationship
• Cross-cultural differences
• Misreads Human nature