Control theories

1. Control theories Social Bond Theory Self-Control Theory

2. Control Theories • Control theories take the opposite approach from other theories • Instead of asking what drives people to commit crime, they ask why do most people not commit crime • There is no problem explaining why people commit crime since all human beings suffer from innate human weaknesses which make them unable to resist temptation

3. The main question of control theories • Temptation is before us all but why do only some of us give in to temptation

4. Strain/learning theories Control theories Controls (or restraints against delinquency) Comparison Strain Social learning for crime

5. Examples

6. “My parents raised me to respect the law” “I do not want to upset my parents” “I know what is right and what is wrong” “It is fell too guilty when I do something wrong” “I am afraid of being caught” “I worry about my reputation”, etc. Controls (or restraints against delinquency) What are controls/restrains?

7. Control Theories: Main points • Focus on restraining or "controlling" factors that are broken or missing inside the personalities of delinquents • Control theory investigate the ways in which our behavior is regulated, including the influences of family, school, morals, values, beliefs, etc. • It is this regulation that is seen as leading to conformity and compliance with the rules of society

8. Forerunners of Control Theory • Emile Durkheim (late 19th century) • The nature of “man”=Homo Duplex concept • Social self – product of socialization, a civilized member of society • Egoistic self- is comprised of animal urges not controlled by society’s rules • Through proper socialization, the egoistic self could become integrated into social self • Without this integration, deviance results

9. Types of Control • Direct control, by which punishment is imposed for misconduct and compliance is rewarded • Indirect control, by which a youth refrains from delinquency because a particular act might cause pain/disappointment for parents + might result in punishment • Belief refers to juvenile’s beliefs regarding delinquency. A youth’s conscience or sense of quilt prevents him/her from engaging in delinquent acts • Self-control (Internal control) refers to the juveniles’ ability to exercise self-restraint.

10. Direct Control (four components) • Setting rules • Monitoring behavior • Sanctioning delinquency • Reinforcing conventional behvaior

11. Setting rules • Mostly done by parents, teachers, and schools

12. Monitoring behavior • Someone is watching over the juvenile and sanctioning him/her for deviance

13. Effective Monitoring • Very high levels of monitoring and over strict parents may be ineffective and sometimes, they may even increase delinquency (perhaps for reasons related to strain theory)

14. Sanctioning delinquency • Parents, teachers, police, courts, correctional agencies

15. Teen Arrested For Texting In Class • WAUWATOSA- A 14-year old girl was arrested for texting in class. • The teacher told to stop, but the teen kept at it. Finally, the teacher called the school's police officer. • The officer demanded the phone, and the teen hid it down her pants and denied having a cell phone. • She was arrested for disorderly conduct for disrupting class, disobeying the teacher, and lying to the officer about having a phone. • Not only was she arrested and forced to appear in court, she ended up with a $300 bail and she was suspended for a week • After her suspension, the teen was caught sneaking back into school twice, earning her two trespassing tickets.

16. Teen arrested for wrapping cat in duct tape (Philadelphia) • A teenager wrapped a cat in duct tape, put it in a shopping bag and left it in a neighbor's backyard • A teen was arrested on animal cruelty charges • He faces up to two years in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine if convicted.

17. Teen arrested in rape and murder of 8-month-old (New Orleans) • A 17-year-old Arnold T. Ross was arrested on charges of aggravated rape and first-degree murder of an 8-month-old child Saturday afternoon • The death was initially unclassified, but the coroner's office later reported it as a homicide after an autopsy of the child's body revealed multiple fractures consistent with a beating and tears in the anus

18. Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi • Social Control Theory • Causes of Delinquency (1969) • Social Bond Theory- Delinquent acts result when an individual's bonds to society are weak or broken • Attachment • Commitment • Involvement • Belief

19. Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi • Attachment refers to a person’s sensitivity to and interest in others • Measurement: • There's always someone to turn to in time of need • I have a lot of close friends • I am not eager to move out from my parents • My parents are good role models

20. Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi • Commitment involves the time, energy, and effort expended in conventional lines of action, such as getting an education and saving money for the future. • Measurement: • 1.Haven't drinked2. Haven't skipped school3. Haven't missed much church4. Have participated in school activities

21. Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi • Heavy involvement in conventional activities leaves little time for illegal behavior • Measurement: • 1. Haven't been wasting time2. Have spent time with family3. Have participated in extracurricular school activities4. I generally keep busy

22. Social Bond TheoryTravis Hirschi • Beliefs - degree to which person thinks they should obey the law • Measurement: • 1. It is important to own a home2. It is important to respect police3. Teachers are good people4. Generally, the law should be obeyed

24. Empirical validity of the theory • Theory suggests that attachment to parents (even delinquent ones) and friends (even delinquent ones) would decrease delinquency • Research has shown the opposite • Whose who are strongly attached to delinquent parent/friends are more likely to be delinquent

25. Empirical validity of the theory • Krohn, Massey (1980)have found that social bonding variables are moderately related to delinquent behavior (minor delinquency rather than serious) • Attachment and commitment to school are negatively related to delinquency (Giordano, 1992)

26. Self-control theory • Hirschi collaborated with Gottfredson (1990) to develop the theory with the only one type of control – self-control • They did not clarify how their self-control theory relates to Hirschi’s social bonding theory • We can assume that all four elements of social bonding must be an indicators of the concept of self-control

27. Self-control theory • Theory states that individuals with high self-control will be less likely at all periods of life to engage in criminal acts, while individuals with low self-control are likely to commit crimes

28. Elements of low self-control • Self-control consists of the ability to delay gratification • People with low self-control have a “here and now” orientation and are unable or unwilling to delay gratification. • Crime provides easy gratification of desires (money without work, sex without courtship, revenge without court delays) • People lacking self-control also tend to lack persistence in a course of action

29. Elements of low self-control • Criminal acts are exciting, risky, and thrilling • They involve steal, speed, agility, deception, and power • People lacking self-control tend to be adventuresome, active, and physical • Those with high levels of self-control tend to be cautious, cognitive, and verbal

30. Elements of low self-control • Crimes provide a few long-term benefits • They are not equivalent to a job or a carrier (on contrary, crimes interfere with long-term commitments to job, family, or friends) • People with low self-control tend to have unstable marriages, friendships, and job profiles

31. Elements of low self-control • Crimes require little skill or planning (the cognitive requirements for most crimes are minimal) • People lacking self-control need not possess or value cognitive or academic skills

32. Elements of low self-control • Crimes often result in pain or discomfort for the victim • It follows that people with low self-control tend to be self-centered, indifferent, or insensitive to the suffering and needs of others

33. Elements of low self-control • Low self-control argument rests on the idea that crime is like any other reckless act. • Those with low self-control tend to smoke, drink, use drugs, gamble, have children out of wedlock, and engage in illicit sex • In addition, because low self-control is associated with all types of crime, offenders will tend not to specialize in particular kind of crime.

34. Determinants of Low Self-Control • Low self-control is produced in families where there is little attachment between parent and child, in families where parents fail to recognize deviant behavior (for example, in cases where parents are also deviant), or when parents recognize deviant behavior and fail to correct it • Self-control that is not attainment in childhood is unlikely to be produced in adulthood

35. Self-control • Self-control develops during early socialization • Once formed in childhood, the amount of self-control remain relatively stable throughout life • Parents who are attached to children, supervise, monitor and punish deviant acts (family is the most important agent) • Peer groups are relatively unimportant in the development of self-control

36. Crime Rate Variations? • Why do people commit less crime as they age? • Why are some regions are more crime prone than others? • Why are some groups are more crime prone than others? • Does that mean there are between-group differences in self-control?

37. Age-crime relationship 8-9 years 15-24 years 45-55 years

38. Answer of the theory • Criminal propensity and criminal acts are separate concepts • Crime is rational and predictable- people commit crime when it promises rewards with minimal threat of pain • If targets are guarded, crime rates diminish • “Only the truly irrational offender would dare to strike under those circumstances”

39. Answer of the theory • Criminal offenders are people predisposed to commit crimes, they are not robots who commit crime without restrain • Their days are filled also with conventional behaviors (school, church, job) • But given the same set of criminal opportunities (free time, living in a neighborhood with unguarded homes, etc) crime prone people are more likely to violate the law.