Social Control Theory

Everyone is motivated to break the law So, the question is NOT: Why do we break rules? But, Why don’t we? Deviance results from weak social constraints A theory of conformity Constraints originate in our social experience

Social Sources of Control We connect to society via social groups Family, neighborhood, school, work, etc. “We are moral beings only to the extent that we are social beings” Emile Durkheim (1925) Social rewards are contingent on staying out of trouble We develop stakes in conformity “When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose” - Bob Dylan

Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory People violate social norms because they lack social bonds to conventional others (family, school, work) Social bonds do not reduce criminal motivation, they simply enable us to resist temptation A theory of informal social control

Hirschi’s Social Bonds Emotional Attachment to conventional others (parents, teachers, friends), avoid their disapproval Material Commitment = deviance places investments in conventional relationships at risk Temporal Involvement = limits criminal opportunity – “idle hands are devil’s workshop” Moral Belief in the “rightness” of rules and laws, internalization, personal standards

The Life-Course Perspective Sampson and Laub (1993) Trajectories = long-term pathways through life Turning Points = short-term events that affect life trajectories

Age-Graded Theory of Informal Social Control Turning points increase or decrease informal social control Create or destroy connections to society School, employment, marriage, family Tend to be age-graded, but vary by person

Braithwaite’s Shaming Theory Effectiveness of punishment Rooted in social bonds Disintegrative shaming Stigmatization, outcast status, social bond destroyed Reintegrative shaming Disapproval followed by reacceptance, preserves bonds

Implications of Informal Social Control Theory for Inmates Preserve social bonds to work and family Less reliance on incarceration Job training and family counseling Use of community based corrections

The Origins of Self-Control Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) Young children naturally break rules By age 8-10, kids most kids learn to control their behavior Parenting is the key Monitoring, detection, punishment Poor parenting leads to low self-control in children

Empirical Patterns that Fit Offenders tend to be generalists (not specialists) Smoking, drinking, drug use, speeding, unprotected sex Most offending requires no special skill, tend to be impulsive Opportunity is key Offending usually brings immediate benefit, despite potential for long-term costs

Hirschi’s Informal Social Control Theory Bad relationships/ Weak social bonds Deviance

Low Self-Control Theory Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) Bad relationships/ Weak social bonds Deviance Low self-control spurious

Implications of Low Self-Control Theory Focus on early family-based intervention CJ sanctions can play only a minor role Parents must monitor and punish the behavior of their children For those with weak families, government supports are needed

Review of Control Theories Informal social control (social bond) Hirschi’s social bond theory Sampson and Laub’s age graded theory of informal social control Self-control Gottfredson and Hirschi’s theory of low self control