Deviant Behaviors

Deviant Behaviors

Hirschi’s social control theory suggests that criminal behaviours increase when attachment bonds in society are weak. According to the theory, crime occurs as a result of social entities losing control over young individuals. These social entities include family, school, religion and close friends. When these entities surrounding the individual become weak, the result is the persons engage in harmful behaviours regarded as criminal. The bodies become inadequate because of loss of hope in them by the individuals.

Travis Hirschi contended that crime happens when a person’s connection to society is undermined. This connection relies upon the quality of social bonds that hold individuals to society. As per Hirschi, there are four social bonds that dilemma us together – Attachment; Commitment; Involvement and Belief. As indicated by this hypothesis, one would anticipate the ‘run of the mill reprobate’ to be youthful, jobless, single and most likely male. On the other hand, the individuals who are hitched and in work are more reluctant to carry out wrongdoing. In essence, the individuals who are included and part of social organizations are less inclined to go off to some faraway place.

Government officials of all influences will, in general talk as far as social control hypothesis. Jack Straw from the work party has contended that ‘chaps need fathers’ and David Cameron has given late talks about the significance of the family and the issues related to missing dads. These perspectives are additionally well known with the conservative press, which frequently reminds their (working class, family unit) perusers that ‘70% of youthful offenders originate from solitary parent families; young teens from broken homes’. The theory focuses on truancy, lack of good parenting and unemployment as the major problems that are associated with criminality.

Many offenders lack parental guidance, and that’s the reason why they engage in such behaviours. The offenders either were left by their parents while they were young or they were born, and their parents died. Parents serve an essential role in shaping the life and behaviours of children while they are together. It is at this point when they create a bond that helps keep a track between the two. Social control hypothesis is arranged among other sociological speculations that attention on the job of social and familial relationships as requirements on culpable. It is suggested that for youngsters, a crucial part of social control is found inside the family, primarily through communications with and thoughts towards guardians. Of the research that has inspected the effect of social control on wrongdoing, an enormous extent has discovered a negative connection between parental connection and misconduct. It has been found that the more noteworthy the link to guardians, the lower the probability of inclusion in reprobate conduct. It ought to be noticed that out of the entirety of the examinations evaluated for this report, just one found that parental connection had no impact on misconduct (Brannigan et al., 2002).

Most of the young delinquents seek approval from either parents, teachers or leaders after they have committed delinquent acts are guilty. They can distinguish between those who can get their attention. After identifying them, they go and explain to them what they have done and seek guidance from them. They use this technique as a neutralization one in ensuring they are not held guilty after the commission of the crime. When they become used to this type of behaviour, they embrace it and later become more delinquent since the response was well hidden using the neutralization technique.

Social control theory is based on four elements; attachment, belief, commitment and involvement. When an individual practices, these four elements are likely not to engage in criminality. Attachment occurs when one has something he/she is doing and is focused on like career. It keeps the individual away from other harmful activities. A job can make the individual to be committed in a way he is always busy doing work. Social beliefs such that engaging in criminality is wrong can help one to keep off from crime.  Self-control also has elements which include motivation, goals, efforts and constraints encountered during effort making.

Social control theory is positioned amongst other sociological theories that focus on the role of social and familial bonds as restraints on offending. It is proposed that for young people, an essential aspect of social control is found within the family, mainly through interactions with and feelings towards parents. Of the studies that have examined the impact of social control on delinquency, a large proportion has found a negative relationship between parental attachment and delinquency. As such, it has been found that the higher the attachment to parents, the lower the likelihood of involvement in delinquent behaviour. It should be noted that out of all of the studies reviewed for this report, only one found that parental attachment did not affect delinquency (Brannigan et al., 2002).

Comparing between the two theories; social control theory and self-control, self-control is the best to apply in preventing delinquent behaviours.  In restraint, one sets his goals and is driven by the motives, unlike the social control where one is reliant of social entities to provide moves. Also, it is not reliable since a choice is made by another person and is reliant.

Reference

Akers, R.L. and C.S. Sellers. (2004). Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application (4^th ed.). Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing.

Banyard, G. and K.A. Quartey. (2006). Youth’s family bonding, violence risk, and school performance: Ecological correlates of self-reported perpetration. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(10), 1314−1332.

Baron, S. W. (2003). Self-control, social consequences, and criminal behaviour: Street youth and the general theory of crime. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 40(4), 403.

Benda, B.B. and R.F. Corwyn. (2002). The effect of abuse in childhood and adolescence on violence among adolescents. Youth & Society, 33(3), 339−365.