Social Controls of Metal Thieves

Abstract

Metal thieves are influenced by three kinds of social controls: direct social control, indirect social control, and internal social control. Direct controls are the external risks associated with stealing metal (e.g., dogs, cameras, witnesses, and law enforcement). Indirect social controls influence behavior within relationships. For example, a positive influence is a condemning family member and a negative influence is a metal theft partnership. Internal controls are the beliefs of right and wrong held by the thief. Internal control is often overcome with neutralization techniques: temporally suspending norms, justifying behavior, or appealing to a higher authority. Increasing guardianship, dogs and cameras, observant witnesses, and police presence influence the activity of metal thieves but rarely entirely dissuade them from the theft.