Travis Hirschi's Social Control Theory

705 Words2 Pages

Social control theory tries to explain why it is that all of us do not commit crime. Social control theory gained prominence during the 1960s. Travis Hirschi put forth his new theory that was built upon existing concepts of social control. His social control theory declared that ties to school, family, and other aspects of society serve to lessen one 's tendency for deviant behavior. Hirschi believes that because of the bond with co-workers, teachers, friends and family and activities such as education or career goals cause people to have less time to commit crimes. I would have to disagree to some extent. If you chose to hang out with a family member or friend that is into criminal behavior such as drugs or being involved with a gang, that

Show More
Related

  • Comparison Of Social Learning Theory And Hirschi's Social Bonding Theory

    1993 Words  | 4 Pages

    The two theories that are being analyzed in this paper are Ronald Akers’ Social Learning Theory and Travis Hirschi’s Social Bonding Theory. Hirschi's social bonding theory is one of many control theories which all take on the task of explaining the core cause of crime; however, this particular theory seems to be the most popular and able to stand the test of time. The Social Bond theory contains four elements that explain what criminals lack that causes them to be more prone to illegal activity, these elements are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. On the other end of the spectrum is Akers’ Social Learning Theory, which attempts to explain the correlation between and individual's social environment and their behavior depending on what is praised or punished in an individual's specific social organization. (Walsh & Hemmens)

    Read More

  • Jeffrey Dahmer's Use Of Control Theory

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    Control Theory focuses on the question, “why do people conform?”. This theory argues that it is easier to satisfy an individual’s needs and wants through crime, but most people still don’t commit illegal acts. The reason for this is because of the restraints placed on people that stop them from breaking the law. But obviously, some people’s restraints exist more than others’. Some people feel freer to engage on crime. There are three major things that stop people from participating in deviant criminal activities: direct control, stake in conformity, and internal control. Jeffrey Dahmer lacked all

    Read More

  • Travis Hirschi's Social Bond Theory

    2547 Words  | 6 Pages

    In 2012, there were an estimated 14,827 murders and non-negligent manslaughter crimes reported by all agencies in the United States according to the Uniform Crime Report at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter are defined “as the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another.” A 1.1 percent increase occurred from 2011 to 2012. But it should be noted, this is a 9.9 percent drop from the figure for 2008 and a 10.3 percent decrease from the number of murders recorded in 2003. Of the murders that occurred in 2012, it is estimated that 43.6 percent were reported in the south, 21.0 percent were from the Midwest, 21.0 percent were accounted from the west, and 14.2 percent were from the northeast of the United States. There were 4.7 murders for every 100,000 people in 2012. The murder rate went up 0.4 percent from 2011 to 2012. It went down in 2008 by 12.8 percent and dropped 16.9 percent from 2003. The majority of offenders were over the age of eighteen and they accounted for 9,096 of offenders in 2012. According to the Uniform Crime Report, the number of offenders who murdered in 2012 totaled 14,581. The majority of these offenders were male, totaling 9,425. Female offenders totaled 1,098, and 4,058 were unknown offenders. Black males topped the list as far as race was concerned with 5,531 committing murder. White males followed with 4,582 offenders. There were 4,228 classified as race unknown regarding offenders who murdered in 2012. The victim data reported was 9,917 male victims and 2,834 female victims. Of those victims, 11,549 were over the age of eighteen.

    Read More

  • Harold Shipman Social Control Theory

    1661 Words  | 4 Pages

    Harold Shipman is known as one of Britain’s worst serial killers. Over twenty-five years it is suspected he killed 251 individuals while working as a medical doctor (“Harold Shipman”, n.d., para 1). Shipman had been injecting fatal amounts of poison into their bodies (para. 1). Shipman’s actions and why he acted in this manner can be explained from the sociological perspective and psychological perspective. The sociological perspective examines factors including social setting, level of education and positive or negative role models in a person’s life (Pozzulo, Bennell & Forth, 2015, p.338-341). The psychological perspective examines colorations between an individual’s mental process, their behaviour, their learning process and traits an individual

    Read More

  • What Is Stage Criminology?

    1944 Words  | 4 Pages

    Multiple theories are competing with each other to solve the same puzzle of understanding why people commit crime. General strain theory states that crime is caused by individuals experiencing strain and coping with this by committing crimes (Agnew, 1992). Self-control theory argues that an individual 's level of self-control will stop a person from committing crime. These two theories are in conflict of explaining why people cause crime, self-control theory states that people are inherently capable of crime because people avoid pain and seek pleasure (Gottfredson, & Hirschi,

    Read More

  • Akers' Social Learning Theory

    2220 Words  | 5 Pages

    High crime rates are an ongoing issue through the United States, however the motivation and the cause of crime has yet to be entirely identified. Ronald Akers would say that criminality is a behavior that is learned based on what an individual sees and observes others doing. When an individual commits a crime, he or she is acting on impulse based on actions that they have seen others engage in. Initially during childhood, individuals learn actions and behavior by watching and listening to others, and out of impulse they mimic the behavior that is observed. Theorist Ronald Akers extended Sutherland’s differential association theory with a modern viewpoint known as the social learning theory. The social learning theory states that individuals commit crime through their association with or exposure to others. According to Akers, people learn how to be offenders based on their observations around them and their association with peers. Theorist Akers states that for one, “people can become involved in crime through imitation—that is by modeling criminal conduct. Second, and most significant, Akers contended that definition and imitation are most instrumental in determining initial forays into crime” (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball 2011:57). Although Akers’ theory has been linked to juvenile delinquency in the past, it has also been tested as a possible cause of crime overall. Individuals learn from observation that criminal behavior is justifiable in certain circumstances. In connection with juvenile delinquency and crime, peers and intimate groups have the most effect on individuals when associated with criminal behavior. One is more likely to mimic the behavior of someone who they have close ties with, whether the behavior is justifiable or...

    Read More

  • Theory of the Broken Window

    1610 Words  | 4 Pages

    This theory however as some have argued has emerged from social disorganisation theory, which sees the causes of crime as a matter of macro level disadvantage. Macro level disadvantage are the following: low socioeconomic status, ethnic or racial heterogeneity, these things they believe are the reasons for crime due to the knock on effect these factors have on the community network and schools. Consequently, if th...

    Read More

  • Travis Hirschi's Control Theory

    378 Words  | 1 Pages

    Reflecting on Travis Hirschi's Control Theory--How would you apply it to the students (or other population) The way that I can apply the Travis Hirschi's Control Theory to the students at APCH is by conforming with the students at APCH to social norms which depends on a strong bond between the staff at APCH and the students surrounding community to live in today's ride or die society. By applying the Travis Hirschi's Control Theory we have to use the four dimensions to incorporate the success of the Theory. Hirschi's concern was "why don't more people become delinquent?" Hirschi's concern of why do not more people become delinquent, will be met by applying this concern to APCH it will demonstrate the success of the program and it's well being to the surrounding community that few will be delinquents and more will become successful in the near future.

    Read More

  • Social Bonding Theory Vs Self-Control Theory Analysis

    1300 Words  | 3 Pages

    When it comes to criminal justice most of the crimes that are committed consists of killing and robbing. Killing and robing are crimes that are caused by lack of social bonding or lack of self-control. When we think about these theories they are telling us that it is always good for people to have social bonding in their life because strong social bonding invents self-control inside of a person’s mind. This helps us understand why a person was killed or why a person was robbed and these are the main things we seek in the career field of criminal justice.

    Read More

  • Criminology And Differential Association Theory

    1653 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Criminality is learned in the same manner as any other learned behavior” (Siegel). People, and criminals, learn motives, values and techniques from interactions and experiences with other people. This can be with parents and family members or peers in someone 's life. The theory says that the criminal need someone to teach them the criminal acts before they commit the act themselves. This theory “affirm[s] the importance of criminal contact as a means for learning how to offend” (McCarthy). Most people do not wake up one day and decide to start being criminals. Most of the time, that person has friends and acquaintances around them already doing criminal acts. That person might think that the acts are criminal and bad but, after a while of hanging around them, especially if they never get in trouble, the deviant acts will look more normal. People become “delinquents because of an excess of definition favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law”

    Read More

  • Why Young People Join Gangs

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social Control Theory presumes that people will naturally commit crime if there were left to their own devices (i.e. no laws in society) and people do not commit crimes because of certain controlling forces, such as social bonds that hold individuals back partaking on their anti social behavior (Bell, 2011). Examples of controlling forces are family, school, peers, and the law. Young people who are t... ... middle of paper ... ... nd delinquent are more likely to partake in committing criminal behavior (Shaefer and Haaland, 2011, p.155-156).

    Read More

  • Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System

    1892 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ulture and beliefs. Another reason one might commit a crime, is when people fail to achieve society’s expectations through legal means such as hard work and delayed gratification, they may attempt to achieve success through crime. People also develop motivation and the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with. Some criminals commit crimes because of the controls that society places on a person through institutions such as schools, workplaces, churches, and families. Sometimes there are occasions where a persons actions goes against what society considers normal, and as a result it is instead considered a crime. Also some criminals continue their criminal acts because they have been shunned by their society because once a person is labeled a criminal, society takes away their opportunities, which in most cases leads to more criminal behavior.

    Read More

  • Understanding Crime: The Classical Theory Perspective

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    Criminals come from all walks of life. Some are wealthy business owners while others are poverty-stricken and homeless. Some are 60 years old while others are 16. What makes people decide to become a criminal? Why does one person who gets arrested and faces punishment learn from the mistake and does nothing illegal again while others become prison regulars? Criminological theory seeks to answer these questions in an effort to mold societal influence and implement programs to deter people from committing crimes. One such theory is the classical theory. Even though some believe that crime is based mainly on social influencers like in the differential association theory, the classical theory is more accurate because it suggests that each person makes the choice to commit a crime based on risk versus reward and because most intentional criminal acts pay some sort of benefit, rarely are they seen as not profitable.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Social Control Theory

    1554 Words  | 4 Pages

    This theory is also known as social bond theory because it elaborates that instead of some natural inclinations toward crime, the individuals are deter from committing criminal activities due to strong social bonds. However, if the social bond of an individual is weak, the probability of involvement in a crime of increases. It is analysed from the research study of Warkentin and Willison (2009) that as per this theory individuals have natural tendency towards committing crimes if there are no social bonds. Moreover, it is also noticed that social bonds have positive influence on the reduction of criminal behaviour. This means that criminal activities within organisation can be controlled by emphasising on social bonds. The inhibitors of unwanted behaviour are divided into four types, which include belief, commitment, attachment, and

    Read More

  • The Causes of Criminal Behavior

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Different schools of thought propose varying theoretical models of criminality. It is agreeable that criminal behaviour is deep rooted in societies and screams for attention. Biological, Social ecological and psychological model theories are key to helping researchers gain deeper comprehension of criminal behaviour and ways to avert them before they become a menace to society. All these theories put forward a multitude of factors on the outlooks on crime. All these theories have valid relevancy to continuous research on criminal behaviour.

    Read More

More about Travis Hirschi's Social Control Theory

Open Document