Learning Theories share two characteristics:

SOCIAL PROCESS EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME

Control Theories: Why don't people commit crimes?

Containment Theory (Reckless)

Crime is consequence of two factors
Social pressures to get involved in crime.
Failure to resist such pressures.

Two types of containments (inner and outer)
Criticisms?

Social Control or Social Bond Theory (Hirschi)

Causes of Delinquency (Hirschi) 1969
Why don't we commit crime?
Our bonds to conventional institutions keep us from committing deviant behavior.
Four aspects of social bond.

Evidence

Empirical Tests:

Hirschi's study - attachment to parents/level of parental supervision seen as key factor reducing crime

John Hagan - daughters experience more control from mothers than sons

Sampson and Laub - social ties in adulthood also work to reduce delinquent behavior.

Why is control theory so popular?

What are the common criticisms?

According to social bond theory, what would we expect the relationship between hours spent studying and smoking marijuana to be? What aspect of the social bond does hours spent studying measure?

Does the relationship displayed in this table support social control theory?

	Study more than 10 hours per week	Study less than 10 hours per week
Have tried marijuana	39%	50.5%
Never tried marijuana	61%	49.5%
Total	100%	100%

Discussion Question

Review the main elements of social bonding theory. Reflect on and discuss instances in which you changed or modified your desires/behavior due to your social bonds. What factors in American society might cause social bonds to be weaker in inner-city neighborhoods?