NCJ Number
168609
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 23 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1996) Pages: 117-129
Date Published
1996
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study tested Travis Hirschi's theory of control by measuring bonding in a sample of severely delinquent juveniles.
Abstract
Hirschi's (1969) theory of control has amassed considerable empirical support since its development and has become one of the dominant explanations of delinquent behavior. Control theory's basic premise is that people with strong bonds to society are less likely to deviate from conventional behavior than those with weak bonds. In this study, bonding theory was applied to a severely delinquent population of 168 youths detained at a juvenile detention center similar in population to those in most urban areas. Bonding was measured in the three areas of attachment to parents, peer relationships, and school bonding. A composite of measures consisted of Hudson's Indexes of Family and Peer Relations and Hare's School Self-Esteem Scale. Findings show that bonding with peers correlated with attachment to family. Further, surprisingly, as youths committed more crimes, attachment to parents increased. This may partially be explained by a major finding in this study that more than 70 percent of the detainees' families had also been in jail. This confirms Hirschi's contention that youth apparently identify with a delinquent subculture in which criminal behavior is practiced and sanctioned. This suggests that early intervention is especially critical if youth are bonding with the family and peers in a delinquent subculture. A promising battery of interventions involves early family support and education; services to urban, low-income families; and a child-focused educational component as well as a parent-focused informational and emotional-support component. 22 references