Hirschi's Social Bond Theory Hirschi's social bonding theory argues that those persons who strong and abiding attachments to conventional society are less likely to deviate than persons who have shallow or weak bonds (Smangs, 2010). These bonds come in four interrelated forms, the first of which is attachment. Attachment, refers to the level of psychological affection one has for pro-social others and institutions. Parents and schools are of critical importance in this regard. Youths who form close attachments to their parents1 and schools will, by extension, experience greater levels of social control. The second type of bond is referred to as commitment. Commitment stresses the importance of the social relationships that people value, which they would not want to risk jeopardizing by committing criminal or deviant acts. People are less likely to misbehave when they know that they have something to lose. For juveniles, this could mean not wanting to look bad in front of friends, parents, or teachers for having committed a crime, something for which shame from those whose opinion of them matters would be a likely consequence. The third type of social bond is known as involvement, which relates to the opportunity costs associated with how people spend their time. Specifically, Hirschi tapped into the old philosophy that "idle hands are the devil's workshop" in that if people are spending their time engaged in some form of pro-social activity, then they are not, by definition, spending their time engaged in antisocial activity. The final type of...
The assumption being that the more important such values are to a person, the less likely he or she is to engage in criminal/deviant behavior.
If integration with a conventional social group helps prevent suicide and "delinquency" (Hirschi 1969) and motivates people to fight, make sacrifices for a community, or commit deviant acts on behalf of a sub-cultural group, it should affect almost all forms of deviance. The absence of social integration with conventional groups should be influential in psychotic behavior (unless that specific behavior is organically determined and totally uncontrollable); without integration into
The Problem of Organized CrimeOrganized crime has been a persistent problem in many societies, and it can be challenging to completely eradicate it. Despite various efforts by law enforcement agencies, government, and society, organized crime groups continue to operate and exert influence in many areas of life. Their criminal activities can have significant negative impacts on individuals, businesses, and communities, including violence, corruption, and economic losses. However, to argue that
Positivist Theory of Crime, Lombroso Criminal Behavior Treatment Program and Positivist Theory The objective of this study is to examine the positivist theory of crime posited by Lombroso and to develop a crime prevention or treatment program. Cesare Lombroso is held to be the founder of modern criminology and to have introduced the positivist movement in the latter part of the nineteenth century, which has made a more scientific approach to criminology available.
influential theories related to deviance by Robert K. Merton. Firstly, the paper provides the historical context within which the theorist produced their ideas. Secondly, the paper provides a summary of their original theory. Thirdly, the paper provides a discussion of how the model has been critiqued and altered as new research has emerged. Lastly, the paper delves into the theory's current usage/popularity within criminology. The historical context within which the
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