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The Generalizability of Self-Control Theory

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The Many Faces of Youth Crime

Abstract

In the preceding chapters, we made frequent use of Hirschi’s social bond theory, first presented in the classic Causes of Delinquency (1969). This theory argues that delinquent acts are inhibited to the extent that an individual is connected to a conventional life through social bonds – to family, school, and peers; and delinquency results “when an individuals’ bond to society is weak or broken” (Hirschi 1969: 16). Social bonds theory has been one of the most influential and enduring theoretical paradigms in the study of delinquency, both in its original formulation and through more recent revisions.

An erratum to this chapter is available at http://dx.doi.org/978-1-4419-9455-4_13

An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9455-4_13

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Notes

  1. 1.

     They later replaced the ‘criminality’ concept by ‘self-control’, see section 11.1.2.

  2. 2.

     It should be noted that – for the four subscales – higher scores indicate a higher degree of impulsivity, volatile temperament, and so on, thus implying a lower level of self-control; conversely, for the total self-control scale, higher scores mean higher self-control.

  3. 3.

     It should be noted that Hirschi and Gottfredson adamantly reject the notion that self-control may be a situational concept. See Hirschi and Gottfredson (2008).

  4. 4.

     It should be noted that – although we distinguish between opportunities and lifestyle – these two terms are often used interchangeably in the delinquency literature. However, when directly related to tests of self-control theory, opportunity seems the preferred term.

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  1. Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Ineke Haen Marshall

  2. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Dirk Enzmann

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Marshall, I.H., Enzmann, D. (2012). The Generalizability of Self-Control Theory. In: The Many Faces of Youth Crime. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9455-4_11

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