Exploring the Utility of Social Control Theory for Youth Development

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of social control theory's “attachment” and “involvement” bonds as protective factors to examine gender differences in reports of delinquency and academic achievement in a sample of 7th to 12th graders. Attachment bonds were operationalized as attachment to parents, to nonparent adults, and to peers; involvement bonds were operationalized as time spent in various school- and non-school-based activities. It was expected that, with respect to delinquency and academic achievement, attachment bond variables would be more protective for females than the involvement bond variables, whereas the involvement bond variables would be more protective for males than the attachment bond variables. The findings suggest that although several of the involvement bond variables of social control theory are predictive of both delinquency and academic achievement for both genders, only the attachment bond variables provide such an overall protective function for females. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

An Empirical Investigation of Social Bonds and Juvenile Delinquency in Hong Kong

“…Although the exclusion of females as subjects has initially led to criticisms (Chesney-Lind 1997), it also drew attempts to assess how well this theory in explaining female delinquency (Chesney-Lind and Shelden 2004;Huebner and Betts 2002). Nonetheless, mixed findings were found in these gendered studies.…”

Street gang theory and research: Where are we now and where do we go from here?

“…Although Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) do not directly address the involvement of young people in gangs, social control theory has been used to predict the onset of gang membership (Thornberry, 2006) and has been found to moderate and predict levels of selfreported delinquency (Huebner & Betts, 2002). A lack of commitment to a positive future is evidenced by gang members showing little or no commitment at school (Hill et al, 1999;Brownfield, 2003).…”

Sport Participation and Adolescent Deviance: A Logistic Analysis

“…They note Hirschi's theory provides a sound theoretical rationale for the explanation of adolescent deviance. Additionally, it has been noted that participation within organized extracurricular activities, such as sports, can be explained by social bond theory (Huebner and Betts 2002).…”

“…Students involved in organized sport programs are attached and committed to their participation in conventional activities (Huebner and Betts 2002). According to the social bond theory, students involved in these activities could have a stronger belief in current institutionalized arrangements by maintaining their current attachment to school, family, and other authority figures, which results in fewer incidences of deviance (Weber et al 2001).…”

“…Gender greatly affects student performance (Thom 2002), and sport participation rates (Huebner and Betts 2002). Differences in student performance and sport participation based on race and ethnicity include: differences in core academic areas (Dozier and Barnes 1997); unequal access to academic resources (Darling-Hammond 1998); and likelihood of participation in organized school sanctioned sports (Coakley 2006).…”