Control Theories

Control Theory Everyone is motivated to break the law Deviance results from weak social constraints

Social Sources of Control We connect to society via social groups Social rewards are contingent on staying out of trouble

Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory People break the law because they have not internalized society’s rules Internalization requires social bonds

Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory Emotional Attachment Material Commitment Temporal Involvement Moral Belief

Age-Graded Theory of Informal Social Control Sampson and Laub (1993) extended social control theory to explain changes in offending behavior over the life course Questions:

The Life-Course Perspective Trajectories = Transitions/Turning Points =

Age-Graded Theory of Informal Social Control Transitions increase or decrease informal social control Life course persistent v. adolescent limited

Policy Implications Less reliance on incarceration Job training and family counseling Use of community based punishment

A Contrasting View: Self-Control Theory Control resides in the person, not in his or her relationship to social groups

The Origins of Self-Control Young children naturally break rules By age 8-10, kids most kids learn to control their behavior Parenting is the key

Empirical Patterns that Fit Offenders tend to be generalists Most offending requires no special skil Offending usually brings immediate benefit

A General Theory Self-control is the only important causal factor for understanding crime/deviance Other factors are spurious (also due to self-control)

Policy Implications of Self-Control Theory Focus on early family-based intervention Parents must monitor and punish behavior

Code of the Streets? Informal social control theory Neutralizations Age-graded theory of informal social control Self-control theory