Verified Document

Hirschis Social Bond Theory And Its Impact On The Juvenile Justice System Essay

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.
Discussion

The subject of peer relations and delinquency is often researched in criminology. A lack of consensus in the field has generated a long-standing debate between theoretical perspectives on the nature, content and significance of delinquents' peer relations. These perspectives can be broadly divided into the social disability model and the social ability model. The social ability model asserts delinquent behavior is learned through social interactions with others. Criminal behavior is understood as the outcome of a normal learning process. In contrast, the social disability model assumes that delinquents lack normal interpersonal skills, have trouble maintaining long-term, meaningful relationships, are devoid of compassion for others, and have low needs for affiliation and affection. Hirschi dismisses the social learning perspective on delinquent behavior claiming that the evidence for the social skills of delinquents is in many cases simply an assertion on the part of the investigator (Key Idea: Hirschi's Social Bond/Social Control Theory," NDI).

There are at least five tangible ways Hirschi's work has influenced the field of criminology. First, the comparative test between competing criminological ideas, using empirical data,…

Sources used in this document:
References

"Key idea: Hirschi's social bond/social control theory." (NDI). Sage Publications. Retrieved February 11, 2013, from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/36812_5.pdf

Smangs, M. (2010, December) Delinquency, social skills, and the structure of peer relations: Assessing criminological theories by social network theory. Social Forces, Vol. 89, Issue 2, 609-631. University of North Carolina Press. Retrieved February 11, 2013, from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=a9dcb4b0-c42c-4f64-8b67-c1a089b82105%40sessionmgr110&hid=108
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Social Control Theory All Control
Words: 3849 Length: 12 Document Type: Term Paper

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

Addressing Organized Crime by Stopping Social Disorganization
Words: 1432 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

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

Deployed Parents with School Children
Words: 36892 Length: 123 Document Type: Multiple Chapters

MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYbyEder G. BennettLiberty UniversityA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationLiberty University2021MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYby Eder G. BennettA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationAPPROVED BY:James Eller, Ed.D., Committee ChairMichael-Chadwell Sharon, Ed.D., Committee MemberAbstractThe purpose

The Involvement of Childrens Education Military Deployed Parents...
Words: 34918 Length: 116 Document Type: Multiple Chapters

MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYbyEder G. BennettLiberty UniversityA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationLiberty University2021MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYby Eder G. BennettA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationAPPROVED BY:James Eller, Ed.D., Committee ChairMichael-Chadwell Sharon, Ed.D., Committee MemberABSTRACTThe purpose

Phenomenon of Deployment While Parenting
Words: 24913 Length: 83 Document Type: Multiple Chapters

MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYbyLiberty UniversityA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationLiberty University2021MILITARY DEPLOYED PARENT PERCEPTIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDYby Eder G. BennettA Dissertation Presented in Partial FulfillmentOf the Requirements for the DegreeDoctor of EducationAPPROVED BY:ABSTRACTThe purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the

Positivist Theory of Crime Lombroso
Words: 1786 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

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.

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now