Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory

Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory

The social control process involves the self-regulation by a group based on its principles, beliefs, and values. The main aim of social control is to prevent and stop negative deviance, which is breaking laws and rules of a land, which in turn harms others. In Redwood City, laws and regulations set by the government focus on punishing or enforcing negative sanctions to act as a means of social control. Social control by the use of rewards is a positive reinforcement.

Also, there are formal sanctions imposed by the government in the form of rules and regulations to punish bad behavior in society. Examples of legal sanctions include incarceration and fines, which prevent adverse reactions. Punishments depend on the extent of negative action such as arrest, imprisonment, expulsion, censorship, and limited political freedom. An excellent example of social control in Redwood City is when a person breaks the law and arrested, they go to court, and depending on the severity of the case, pay fines, or face imprisonment, or even both. Social control brings order in the society and thus reducing crime (Wells, 2017).

According to Hirschi‘s social bond theory, people are selfish and only make decisions based on the benefits they receive (Marshall, Ineke Haen, and Dirk Enzmann, p296). His theory states that weak bonds between society and individuals free people to go against or deviate the societal norms. Individuals with weak ties are likely to commit a crime to benefit or gain something to their interest. In his theory, Hirschi uses social bonds to assist individuals in avoiding the attractive deviations. He uses several elements to describe his approach. The first approach he uses is attachment, which expounds on the strength of relationships and bonds that exist in society. How people relate with their parents is essential, but other factors such as friends and siblings play a significant role. Attachment to friends who not have deviant norms helps avoid deviance. Besides, Hirschi uses the approach of commitment, where he explains the dedication level put in common goals and standards. He assumes that people with more investments in resources, energy, and time to help them achieve compliant standards and goals are likely to lose more through deviant behavior than those with little investments..

Notably, Hirschi also uses the approach of involvement- where he maintains that busy people have fewer opportunities and time to engage in deviant norms. Activities such as school and work, make one self-disciplined and thus able to resist forces of abnormal behavior. Lastly, Hirschi uses the approach of belief where he maintains the more the internalization of beliefs and values, the more it gets hard to violate them. Questioning the meaning of the views and norms decreases the motivation to follow them, and increases the chances of breaking them (Vito, p 656).

Works Cited

Marshall, Ineke Haen, and Dirk Enzmann. “The generalizability of self-control theory.” The many faces of youth crime. Springer, New York, NY, 2012. 285-325.

Vito, Anthony G., et al. “Self-control, social learning theory, social bonds and binge drinking: Results from a national sample.” Journal of Substance Use 24.6 (2019): 655-659.

Wells, L. Edward. Social control and self-control theories of crime and deviance. Routledge, 2017.