Social Control Model Research Articles

La répression de l'homicide en Europe occidentale (Moyen Age et Temps modernes)

«From 'violent incident' to 'heinous crime'». In Western history, homicide is regarded as a behaviour open to a variety of social reactions. A review of the literature reveals a model of social control without criminalization up to 1500, followed by strict criminalization of lethal agression (1550-1650) and a long decline in recorded homicides (1650-1960). The sociological works of Durkheim, Mauss, Weber and Elias discuss the place of homicide in social regulation and underline factors such as collective awareness, civilization of manners and the role of the formation of the State in the social construction of homicide.

The theory of social control: Does it apply to the very young?

This article reports the findings of a replication study of social control theory that used fifth grade students. This sample was the youngest used to test this theory. All four elements of the bond (belief, involvement, commitment, and attachment) were measured with individual items from the Richmond Youth Project and more recent tests of the theory. Outcome measures included both illegal and non-conforming behavior. In general, the social control model was unable to distinguish deliquency very well. Some differences were observed when the model was applied independently to male, female, white, and black youths. Two elements of the theory—attachment and commitment—were most important to the explanation of nonconformity. Belief was significant in several models, but in the opposite direction of that predicted by the theory. These results suggest that the elements of the bond work differently for pre-teens than for their older counterparts. These results also add to the mounting evidence that greater attention to the operational definitions of the elements of the social bond is necessary before the theoretical merits of the social control theory can be ascertained.

Social Control and the National Drug Policy: A Critical Analysis

The 1989 National Drug Control Strategy is described and critically examined. The analysis is based on a model of social control and an examination of research on deterrence. Current drug control policies emphasize formal, bureaucratic strategies that are not likely to work In contrast, drug control policies that use informal methods of social control are consonant with democratic ideals and may succeed because they require consensus and promote social integration.

Gender, marital status and the social control of health behavior

Mortality rates are lower for married individuals than they are for unmarried individuals, and marriage seems to be even more beneficial to men than women in this regard. A theoretical model of social integration and social control is developed to explain why this may occur. Drawing from this model, I hypothesize that marriage may be beneficial to health because many spouses monitor and attempt to control their spouse's health behaviors. Furthermore, the provision, receipt, and consequences of these social control efforts may vary for men and women. These hypotheses are considered with analysis of a national panel survey conducted in 1986 ( N = 3617) and 1989 ( N = 2867). Results show that: (1) marriage is associated with receipt of substantially more efforts to control health for men than women, (2) those who attempt to control the health of others are more likely to be female than male, (3) there is some support for the social control and health behavior hypothesis among the married, and (4) the transition from married to unmarried status is associated with an increase in negative health behavior while the transition from unmarried to married status seems to have little effect on health behavior. A theoretical explanation is developed to explain these marital status differences.

THE APPLICABILITY OF THE INTEGRATED SOCIAL CONTROL MODEL TO PUERTO RICAN DRUG USE

ABSTRACT Although the Integrated Social Control (ISC) model, developed by Elliott and associates to explain deviant behavior, has had a powerful influence in the field of criminology, it has been less often applied to drug use. The use of the ISC model with non-white populations is particularly important because delinquency and drag-use research has not generally addressed the question raised by ethnographic studies concerning the extent to which the deviant behavior of specific ethnic groups can be modeled with a general theory. This study uses data from a survey of inner-city Puerto Rican male adolescents to replicate Elliott et al.'s analytical model of deviance, based on an integration of social control, social learning and strain theories. Taking Elliott et al.'s path model results as a starting point, using the same measures developed for their National Youth Survey, and applying the results of previous ethnographic research on the cultural specificity of the Hispanic family and on the relationships...

The Integrated Social Control Model and Ethnicity

Delinquency research has not generally addressed the question raised by ethnographic studies concerning the extent to which the delinquency of specific ethnic groups can be modeled with a general theory. This study uses data from a survey of inner-city Puerto Rican American male adolescents to replicate Elliott, Huizinga, and Ageton's analytical model of delinquency based on an integration of social control, social learning, and strain theories. Taking as a point of departure Elliott and associates' path model results, and using the same measures developed for their National Youth Survey, the study applies the results of previous ethnographic research on the cultural specificity of the Hispanic family and on the relationships between conventional institutions and adolescent peer groups in inner cities to hypothesize a different model of delinquent involvement among Puerto Rican inner-city youths. The results generally verify the posited model, indicating that among Puerto Rican American adolescents, family bonding is a more important influence on delinquency whereas peer bonding is less important than is the case in the national sample of more affluent White youths. However, the most influential factors found in the National Youth Survey are also powerful predictors among Puerto Rican American youth.

Crime and Deviance over the Life Course: The Salience of Adult Social Bonds

Analyzing the natural histories of two samples of boys that differ dramatically in childhood delinquency, we test a model of crime and deviance over the life course. The first hypothesis is that childhood antisocial behavior predicts problems in adult development across a wide variety of dimensions. Second, we argue that social bonds in adulthood--to work and family--explain changes in crime and deviance over the life span. The longitudinal data were reconstructed from the Gluecks' classic study of delinquent and non-delinquent males from childhood to age 32. Childhood delinquency is linked to adult crime, alcohol abuse, general deviance, economic dependency, educational failure, unemployment, divorce, and even charges in the military. Despite this continuity, job stability and strong marital attachment in adulthood inhibit adult criminal and deviant behavior. The results support a model of informal social control that recognizes both stability and change in antisocial behavior over the life course. Language: en

Biosocial models of adolescent problem behaviors

This paper develops a biosocial model of adolescent age-graded norm violations ("problem behaviors"), combining a traditional social control model with a biological model using steroid hormones. Subjects were 101 white boys drawn from the 8th-, 9th-, and 10th-grade rosters of selected public schools, and ranging in age from 13 to 16. Subjects completed self-administered questionnaires and provided blood samples which were assayed for the behaviorally relevant hormones. Boys' problem behavior shows strong hormone effects. Social and biological variables have both additive and indirect effects. Using a biosocial model leads to conclusions which are different from those which would have been drawn from the sociological model alone.

Elaborating the relationship between age and adolescent cigarette smoking

Previous research has found that the relationship between variables derived from a social control model of deviant behavior are conditional on the age of adolescents. We examine whether the observed age effect on adolescent cigarette use may be due to a cohort or period effect by using multiple cross‐sections from several cohorts of adolescents. We find that basing conclusions about some social control variables on cross‐sectional results may lead to erroneous interpretations concerning the age‐conditional effects of some of the variables in our model.

Family therapy and social control with incestuous families

The family therapy and social control model describes first the relationship between unplanned change and developmental growth. With many families, the family therapist works to both provoke change and encourage growth. However, some out-of-control families present a level of danger to a family member that outside controls, such as child protective services, must be used. This model clarifies the complementary but independent roles of family therapy and social control in helping out-of-control families. Intervention with incestuous families is presented as illustrative of the model.

Social control theory: The salience of components by age, gender, and type of crime

Most social control theorists do not consider definitions of delinquency problematic. Beginning with the assumption that “crime” is a unitary concept, researchers have combined a variety of non-normative items to create additive delinquency scales. Rarely is consideration given to whether the causes of crime differ for distinct types of criminal activity. Furthermore, the classic social control model doesnot predict that bonding variables operate differently for distinct age and gender categories. Consistent with the “structuring perspective,” the present research attempts to refine the social control model by specifying conditions under which the model predicts different forms of delinquency. This study examines social control theory using survey data from middle- and high-school students (N=2926). Logit regression analysis revealed that the model which best explains personal crime differs from the model which best explains property crime. Also, certain components of the model were more powerful predictors of criminal behavior for different age-gender groups. The importance of model specification is demonstrated and the implications for social control theory are discussed.

Fear of Crime in Public Housing

Fear of crime has been shown to have a variety of negative impacts on quality of life. The purpose of this article is, first, to better understand the factors associated with fear of crime and, second, to see if this fear among public housing residents is influenced by the same factors that influence fear among the general population. Three models of fear of crime are tested using a sample of 267 residents in 11 nonelderly public housing developments. The results of a multiple regression analysis indicate that variables associated with each model contribute to an explanation of fear, although the social control model has the greatest predictive power. Key variables in explaining fear levels include social and physical incivilities, personal victimization, race, and the adequacy of security measures. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Crime, Justice, And Underdevelopment: The Palestinians Under Israeli Control

Orthodox theories of crime in the Third World and in regions of uneven economic development offer a unilinear explanation of the relationship between economic development and increased crime rates. Simply stated, this Durkheimian position views the transition from traditional to modern society as being associated with the weakening of mechanical forms of solidarity and the emergence of secular and impersonal role structures based on a complex division of labor. Universalistic and achievement criteria replace ascriptive and particularistic values, and deviance-derived social control models based on formalized coercive sanctions substitute for traditional and community-based forms of control. Anomic behavior, frustration of expectations, and norm violation are considered an expected, if transitory, outcome of social change, and are explained on the basis of a clash between modern and traditional value systems.

Social Structure and Criminal Victimization

Using victimization data from 57 neighborhoods, this article examines the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and rates of violent crime and burglary. We argue that Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory provides a meaningful point of departure for examining the uneven distribution of criminal victimization across social units. Measures of three central theoretical elements in Shaw and McKay's social disorganization perspective (poverty, residential mobility, and racial heterogeneity), and variables from the subculture of violence, social control, and opportunity perspectives are included in this research. Results indicate that core components of Shaw and McKay's theory are important in explaining neighborhood victimization rates, although their influence is more conditional than direct and varies by type of crime. Evidence also emerges that supports social control models of aggregate criminal activity. Additionally, we examine whether parameters of macromodels of criminal activity vary across levels of urbanization. The implications of our findings for macrotheories of criminal activity are discussed.

Contributions of Family Violence Research to Criminal Justice Policy on Wife Assault: Paradigms of Science and Social Control

Criminal justice policy on family violence has evolved over the past two decades, informed by political activism as well as theory and research from divergent and often competing perspectives. Experimental research on mandatory arrest of men who assault female partners, policy research on special prosecution programs, and the development of treatment programs for men who batter, typify the strategies for applying criminal sanctions to family violence. However, other critical research on family violence has not been integrated into criminal justice policy, limiting policy development and intervention strategies to practices which reflect contemporary models of sanctions and social control. The limited contributions of family violence research to criminal justice policy reflect competing paradigms of social science, the challenge of family violence cases to the normative processes and the social organization of the criminal courts, and divergent perspectives on social control of offenders in family and stranger violence cases. Strategies for an integrated policy development process are suggested.

Traditional Contributions to Radical Criminology

This article analyzes the causes of criminal behavior as portrayed in the three dominant models of traditional criminology—strain, cultural deviance, and social control—from the perspective of radical criminology. Specifically, we compare these traditional models to radical theory based on three derived criteria: (1) that social class plays an important role in the traditional theory in question, (2) that the theory employs a social-structural model of crime causation, and (3) that the theory offers a materialistic interpretation of the relationship between culture and social structure. Ranging from contributions that are fully compatible to those that provide fruitful possibilities for future research, we find that traditional theories—especially macro-level social control models—converge in crucial respects with radical criminology. We conclude that the ideological differences between radicals and traditionalists, in conjunction with the former's suspicion of positivism and the latter's narrow emphasis on individual-level explanations, have obfuscated the development of an integrated, structural model of crime causation.

Fear and Reactions to Crime

Fear and reactions to crime have been identified as important factors shaping our communities. In response to local crime, people can become fearful of personal victimization and avoid potentially threatening situations. This response can have an atomizing effect on communities leading to out-migration. Two models have been offered to explain fear and reactions to crime: the victimization model and the social control model. This article examines the limitations of these models, and develops and tests a revised model of fear and reactions to crime. The model shows that avoidance reactions are primarily affected by crime-related factors such as the objective crime rate and the level of fear. Protective reactions are primarily affected by the social characteristics of the neighborhood such as neighboring, perceived social similarity, and social control. Finally, collective reactions are affected by both crime-related factors and the perceived social characteristics of a neighborhood.

Adult Education and Social Policy

For far too long, adult education has been an under-resourced area of provision. Although there is substantial evidence from throughout the world that governments are increasingly intervening in adult education, particularly in the context of development, adult education has too often lost out in status, prestige-and resource allocation-in comparison with other sectors of education. This tendency can be readily rationalised. Adult education is alleged to be a movement rather than a service. It is readily identified with the MOPIC syndrome: marginality, uncertainty of objectives, inadequacy of performance indicators and competitive provision. For the United Kingdom, it has been too readily equated with the 'liberal' education of adults, a definition which ignores the bulk of provision in the public sector. Yet notwithstanding these and other perceptions, adult education has always been an instrument of social purpose. To some, it has been a means of changing a redundant social system; to others, it is an agent for change which enables those on the periphery of society to gain access to the centre. Adult education has educated those whose work maintains a society in being; it has also served to facilitate cohesion and integration. In short, adult education has always been an object of social policy and the instigator of that policy. It is with the analysis of this relationship that Colin Griffin is concerned. He starts from the premise that whilst neither social policy nor adult education readily lend themselves to precise definition, there can be little doubt that adult education is an object of social policy or that the policies of adult education are indeed social. On this basis, he examines the relationship of the state and social policy, particularly in the context of the welfare state in Western society, before developing a three-fold analytical typology. These social policy models are identified as the market models, the progressive-liberal-welfare models, and social control models. Each is also conceptualised as an adult education model. This forms Part One of a well-written book. The models which are derived from those set out in social policy textbooks will not necessarily be familiar to adult educators. Griffin, however, clearly presents their main features using examples drawn from practice to amplify the theoretical framework, and although his discussion of broad models may be too simplistic for social policy theorists, he provides a most useful introduction for adult educationalists.

Crowding, Social Control, and Prison Violence: Evidence from the Post-Ruiz Years in Texas

In this paper, I examine two explanatory models for prison violence. In the first, the crowding model, violence is said to arise from the cognitive confusion and tension induced by crowded conditions. In the second, the social control model, violence is seen as one among several important control mechanisms deeply rooted in the social order of prison life. While these models are clearly not mutually exclusive, they have taken researchers along quite distinct paths. I consider three forms of violence in the Texas prison system: homicide, inmate-inmate assaults with weapons, and inmate-staff assaults. My results, which support the control model over the crowding model, have several methodological and policy implications.

Crime in Cities: The Effects of Formal and Informal Social Control

This study examines the structural determinants of robbery and homicide offending in 171 American cities with a population greater than 100,000 in 1980. A macro-level social control model is presented that focuses on the consequences for formal and informal social control of police aggressiveness, jail incarceration risk, state incarceration, and family structure. Controlling for known determinants of crime rates such as poverty, inequality, and racial composition, the general question posed is, Do variations in criminal justice sanctions and the structural arrangement of families influence criminal behavior? To disentangle possible confounding effects of city composition in terms of demographic attributes, crime rates were disaggregated by age, race, and sex of offender. At least three major conclusions emerged. First, local official sanctions appear to have significant deterrent effects on robbery offending: cities with a high risk of jail incarceration produce disproportionately low robbery rates regar...