Social Bonding Theory

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1 Social Bonding Theory Erin Carr The University of Arizona Global Campus CRJ 512: Criminological Theory Fred Newell May 10, 2022

2 Social Bonding Theory Introduction Travis Hirschi was a man from Utah that studied juvenile crime patterns. He that suggested that mental challenges increase the chance of criminal activities. Looking primarily at the younger generations, Hirschi looks at IQ scores, trauma, abuse, and broken families. Hirschi studied for many years from the University of California and University of Arizona. He has won many awards for his findings and publications. In his Social Control (Bonding) Theory, there are four main categories he looks at such as, attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Having a mental illness doesn't mean you are a criminal. There are four elements of the social bonding theory which affects conformity in America, and it prevents social interaction, meaning crimes can be linked to intellectual standards. Elements of the Theory First off, is the element of attachment. Attachment from family members is of course the most important form. Especially parents. Upbringing a child has some serious impact on their future. Criminology: The Core examines that “Hirschi views parents, peers, and schools as the important social institutions with which a person should maintain ties” (Siegel, 2015, Chap. 7, p. 181). Family is an important foundation to building morals, values, and a sense of security. Today, there are more broken families than ever. The divorce rate is higher than it has ever been, giving the chance for children to rebel and act out. Sabour and Yaacob published in a report that “Parental conflict also may decrease parental warmth and parental support that reduced control of children behavior, parental monitoring and parent-child relationship, but increased verbal hostility, physical and harsh punishment through the children (Turner & Kopiec, 2006; Bradford et al., 2007)” (Sabour & Yaacob, 2011). Not having a stable foundation to fall back on may allow the children to rebel, run away, steal, or commit crimes to retrieve

3 their own personal satisfaction. Children may see this as an opportunity with no supervision. Sabour and Yaacob also noted that “When parent-adolescent relationship is negative, adolescents are less likely to internalize parental values and norms” (Sabour & Yaacob, 2011). Degression in parental attachment leads to crime, which flows into commitment. Commitment is the second element of the Social Bonding Theory. Commitment is defined by Siegel as “Commitment involves the time, energy, and effort expended in conventional actions such as getting an education and saving money for the future” (Siegel, 2015, chap. 7, p. 181). This element can easily tie to relationships, communities, jobs, or education. If there is a lack of commitment, there can be a suggested risk of criminal behavior and tendencies. No one really knows you, so they will not be on the lookout. If you have a strong commitment to the community, family, or education, there will be a better-established lifestyle with more peer review and acknowledgement. If there is an interest in criminal activities, more than likely it is going to effect in what one believes in. That takes us to the third element of the Social Bond theory, which is beliefs. Hirschi hints that “If these beliefs are absent or weakened, individuals are more likely to participate in antisocial or illegal acts.” (Siegel, 2015, chap. 7, p. 181). Usually, people in the same areas have the same beliefs. This can be beliefs in politics, religion, values, or goals. People in Hawaii have a more traditional belief in life because of where they came from, and what they have established. Rather than people in Texas who have a more open, patriotic sense of beliefs. This all makes up for the people that they are and who they are becoming, as well as who they are raising. Of course, this also leads to involvement within homes and communities. The last element in Hirschi’s theory is Involvement. All the other attributes of the theory really tie together with involvement. Attachment, commitment, and beliefs are all supported by some sort of involvement. Either good or bad, it is human nature. Being involved can simply mean “school,

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4 recreation, and family” (Siegel, 2015, chap. 7, p. 181). This involvement has more contacts and suppression of criminal acts. An example from Hirschi says “people who feel kinship and sensitivity to parents and friends should be more likely to adopt and work toward legitimate goals” and “a person who rejects such social relationships is more likely to lack commitment to conventional goals” (Siegel, 2015, chap. 7, p. 181). There may be more people around, more people involved and more key witnesses. People who are more anti-social, segregated, or idle allows them that freedom to act out as a criminal. No one might notice them shoplifting, harming an individual, or any other illegal behaviors. Having a well-established Social Bond or at least major elements of the bond, Attachment, Commitment, Belief, and Involvement can conform not only a family, but a neighborhood, city, or even the whole country. Conformity of America All the elements listed above can indeed conform America into a remarkable country. Conformity brings on a sense of normalcy to America. If one thing is not like the other, it sends a sense of worry and confusion, and outcast. Those tendencies rise depending on location. As time evolves, so does social justice and peace. Security and police officers everywhere are on the job to protect the citizens of the United States of America. Police in Chicago, LA, or NYC are very busy. They are trying to catch killers, robbers, rapists, and assailants. They are trying to respond to traumatic events, or simple events that might lead to bigger implications. This is a form of control. Social control. If there were no cops, there would be chaos and higher crime rates. Police offer the security America needs. Having this form of control on the citizens affects the conformity of America. It affects what the laws are across the country, specific cities, or boroughs. The American Sociological Association published a journal article that states, “ the anticipation of legal sanctions, obviously, is not the only possible influence on behavior, nor can it be understood without explicit reference to other social controls

5 because "there is always a complicated interplay between the law and the multitude of other factors which shape our attitudes and behavior” (Meier & Johnson, 1977, p. 294). They are saying that because of the laws we have in place, there is a behavior against it, or towards it. People will want to rebel against the laws because they can. Makes it more stimulating to the people, so they do not get caught, but get away with it. A great example of conformity is in the video provided by Adison Hiemstra on YouTube called The Social Bonding Theory . Within this video it broke down all the different elements and played them out in real life scenarios. The example with the cop enforcing parking violations is a great example to show how well or badly a suggestion can be taken. If people are used to fighting or arguing with cops, it will escalate and get worse. If they comply, the deviance is lowered, and the citizen conforms to the laws of the city, state or country. Having good involvement with the police and community can have a better overall understanding of why parking tickets are being issued to you without confrontation. Social Bonding and Crime Causation Continuing off what crime is being permitted, leads into crime causation. The Social Bond theory suggests that the cause of crime is due to a lack of the four elements (attachment, commitment, belief, involvement). With a lack of one or more of these, can lead to a more open opportunity to commit crime. If there is little parental involvement, or commitment, the adolescents will have an increased opportunity to sneak out of the house and participate in criminal activities. Severe or not. Because deviancy is more acceptable in broken or unsupervised homes, kids can get away with a lot more. Conclusion To wrap it up, Travis Hirschi had a theory called the Social Control (bond) Theory. This theory imposed that there are four main elements that should be present to deter deviancy. Those elements

6 being attachment, commitment, belief, and involvement. With a lack of one of those elements, it allows an adolescent to be more susceptible to crime. If there are a lack of materials and tools offered to help the children in troubled places, it will lead to adult deviancy. Having troubled adults can lead into a troubled city, and lead to events that could have been avoided if the proper tools were years prior. Children, and Adults that are brought up in poor conditions, poverty, broken homes, violent homes, and broken community ties have a higher chance of being deviant than wealthy, provided and well taken care of individuals.

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7 References Bernard, T. J. (2022, April 11). Travis Hirschi . Encyclopedia Britannica . https://www.britannica.com/biography/Travis-Hirschi Hiemstra, A. [Adison Hiemstra]. (2013, April 3). The social bond theory (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs9AaITvt3I Meier, R. F., & Johnson, W. T. (1977). Deterrence as Social Control: The Legal and Extralegal Production of Conformity. American Sociological Review , 42 (2), 292–304. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094606 Nagasawa, R., Qian, Z., & Wong, P. (2000). Social Control Theory as a Theory of Conformity: The Case of Asian/Pacific Drug and Alcohol Nonuse. Sociological Perspectives, 43(4), 581–603. https://doi.org/10.2307/1389549 Sabour, N., & Yaacob, S. N. (2011). Post-Divorce Parental Conflict and Adolescents’ Delinquency in Divorced Families. Asian Culture and History, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.5539/ACH.V3N2P34 Schmalleger, F. J. (2012). Criminology today: An integrative introduction (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Siegel, L. J. (2015). Criminology: The core (5th ed.). Retrieved from https://redshelf.com/ Worley, R. [Robert Worley]. (2011, November 4). Control theories of crime.mp4 (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from https://youtu.be/pvwd8R5_OGs

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