General Theory of Crime and Social Control Theory
Travis Hirschi’s Social Control Theory maintains that family, school, and social ties function to diminish one’s potential for deviant demeanor. In this way, the theory views the occurrence of crime as a result of weak bonds. General Theory of Crime proposed by Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi emphasizes self-regulation as a paradigm employed by individuals in controlling exposure to criminal incidents (Hirschi & Gottfredson, 2017). According to the duo, low self-control that is often established at a tender age, prevails through analogous and criminal behaviors. Often, this tendency gains stability over life courses.
Similarities Between the Two Theories
Both theories are founded on some form of control for individuals to avoid crime. Whether practiced from a broader societal stance or individually, without control, crime is an inevitable occurrence (Rebellon, Anskat & Triplett, 2018). Also, the two theories are based on the belief in broader social values where different facets of control presumably insulate an individual from criminal indulgence. Given this linkage, attachment plays a central as it determines one’s level of engagement in their personal space or society.
Differences
While Hirschi’s Social Control Theory views the ability of individuals to detest crime even after indulgence, Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime asserts that once an individual engages in deviant behavior, it is intricate to be deterred from the same. As the social control theory focuses on crime and criminal acts as a single stable construct of low-self-control, the general theory of crime transcends crime and investigates behaviors analogous to crime (Oleson, 2019). Listed here are antisocial, deviant, and risky gestures that inherently contribute to the general propensity for crime. In this broad sense, the antecedent cause of unpleasant actions results from the pursuit of self-interest.