The generalizability of self-control theory

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.