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Social Control Theory and Delinquency Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1-1-1978 Social Control Theory and Delinquency Michael David Wiatrowski Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Wiatrowski, Michael David, "Social Control Theory and Delinquency" (1978). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 857. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.857 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY AND DELINQUENCY by MICHAEL DAVID WIATROWSKI A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requi relllents for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in URBAN STUDIES Portland State University 1978 TO THE OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH: The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Michael David Wiatrowski presented October 25, 1978. Don C. Gibbons, Chairman APPROVED: and Research AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF ~1i chae 1 Davi d Wi atrowski for the Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Studies presented October 25, 1978. Title: Social Control Theory and Delinquency. APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE DISSERTATION Cm1t1ITTEE: Don C. Gibbons, The concept of social control has been used in sociology since the foundations of the discipline were laid almost a hundred years ago. At the turn of the century social control developed two distinct orientations. The concept has referred to the process of socialization or how individual behavior is regulated in primary group relations, and alternatively, to how the large macrosocial institutions such as education, religion, law and the political system maintain order in society. 2 Early research in social control focused on the development of inventories of societal means of social control. Changing standards of science, however, forced an abandonment of that perspective and research became more directly concerned with the socialization process. Most recently, soci a 1 cont ro 1 a rguments have centered upon the primary group aspects of socialization and the relation of that socialization to delinquency and have been unattentive to larger social institutions and secondary group factors that also influence behavior. The version of social control theory developed by Travis Hirschi in Causes of Delinquency (1969) has been shown to be an exemplary model of social research. He claimed that in early childhood many youths form a bond to society which prevents some of them from becoming involved with delinquency while others who fail to form a bond become del inquent. Hirschi's theory was strongly supported by the research he conducted \·Jhich shDl'ied that delinquency involvement was inversely related to the strength of an individual's relationship to society. Despite the importance of Hirschi's research there is mounting evidence that various institutional experiences such as tracking and grading in school operate as contingencies experienced by adolescents which affect their ability to pursue the legitimate careers \'ihich is central to Hirschi's thesis and \'Jhich may fOI'ce some youths into patterns of delinquent behavior. Similarly, youngsters who come from different positions in the class stl'ucture may vary in their likelihood of obtaining access to high status positions or conversely participating in delinquency if they fai1. Yet the impacts of educational policies and the effects of social class background have not been incorpol'ated into social control arguments. 3 This dissertation extends the explanatory model developed by Hirschi. First, it argues that the socialization levels reached by youngsters in primary group socialization are sometimes altered by subsequent experiences. Secondly, it contends that those changes are related to school experiences and social class backgrounds of youths. Finally, it avers that those changes increase or decrease the likeli­ hood that adolescents will become involved in delinquent behavior. The data for this research was obtained from the Marion County Youth Study, an ongoing survey of a panel of male youths who v/ere high school juniors in 1964. A tVJenty-five percent random sample of the panel in 1967 comprised the group used in this research. The group's 1964 responses were identified, and this served as the basis for the data analysis. The first part replicated Hirschi's contentions that the bond was fOI"med in the family. One element, not fonned in 1964, emerged prior to the youth's graduation. Secondly, this research diverged from Hirschi's contention that social class was not related to the levels of bond achieved by youths or delinquency. Delinquency and two of the four elements of the bond were found to be related to social class. Third, the social bond was found to be moderately unstable and change was somewhat related to the educational and social back­ ground of the youth. Finally, the:;e changes in bond and secondary group factors were translated into significant variations in the del i nquency ra tes for the youths who compri sed the ana lys i s groups. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES xi CHAPTER I I NTRODUCTI ON 1 Overview of the Research 3 II THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY 5 The Early Hi story 5 Merton and Social Structure 13 Labeling Thoery 15 Primary and Secondary Deviation 16 Containment Theory and Social Control Social Control Theory and Causes of Delinquency 33 Conc 1 us ions 47 III THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODOLOGY 50 Introduction .... 50 Research Procedures 51 The Social Bond and Delinquency 52 Changes in the Social Bond and Delinquent Behavior ......... 54 The Causal Ordering of Variables 54 Research r·lodel .... 60 iv CHAPTER PAGE Description of Analysis Groups. 62 Initial Level of Social Bond, Social Class and Delinquency Involvement . 63 Explaining the Changes in the Social Bond 64 rltethodo logy 66 Data Collection 67 Educational and Delinquency Involvement Data 68 Description of Longitudinal Data Collection Procedures . 68 Operationalization of the Concepts 69 Attachlllent 71 Commi tment . 72 Involvement 73 Bel ief ... 74 Delinquency 75 Education 76 Social Class Background 79 Data Presentation 80 Conclusion ... 82 Data Conventions .. 82 Missing Data ... 83 IV LEVEL OF BOND AND DELINQUENCY, BOND AND SOCIAL CLASS,AND CHANGES IN BOND AND DELINQUENCY 84 Attachment to Parents 84 v CHAPTER PAGE Commitment to Conventional Goals ...• 87 Involvement in Conventional Activities. 89 Belief in the Social Value System 92 Discussion. 95 Social Class in Relation to Social Bond and Delinquency Involvement 96 Social Class and Bond 98 Changes in the Bond 103 Changes in Attachment 106 Changes in Commitment 110 Changes in Involvement 113 Summary 116 V EXPLAINING THE CHANGES IN THE LEVEL OF BOND. 118 Changes in Attachment 119 Changes in Commi tment 123 Changes in Involvement 127 Summary 131 Changes in the Level of Bond and Delinquent Behavior . 132 Changes in the Level of Attachment and the Relation to Delinquency . 133 Changes in the Level of Conrnitment and the Relation to Delinquency . 138 Changes in the Level of Involvement and the Relation to Delinquency 144 Belief and the Effects of Social Class and Educational Practices 149 Conclusion 153 vi CHAPTER PAGE VI CONCLUSIONS .............. 156 Replication of Causes of Delinquency. 156 Level of Bond and Delinquency and Social Class 157 Changes in the Level of Bond. 158 Explaining the Changes in the Level of Bond 161 Changes in the Level of Bond and Delinquency. 163 Summary 164 APPENDIX . 166 REFERENCES 170 LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I Evaluation of Alternative Causal Models •.. 59 II Average Number of Self-Reported and Official Delinquency Acts by Father's Occupation White Boys Only 63 III Delinquency Involvement by Level of Attachment, Marion County Youth Study 86 IV Self-Reported Delinquent Acts by Mother's Level of Supervision, Causes of Delinquency (in Percent) 86 V Official Delinquency Involvement by Level of Commitment, Causes of Delinquency (in Percent) 88 VI Delinquency Involvement by Level of Commitment, t1a ri on County Youth Study . 90 VII Participation in Delinquency by Level of Involvement, t,1a ri on County Youth Study . 91 VIII Level of Self-Reported Delinquency and Level of Involvement, Causes of Delin~~ .. 91 IX Level of Delinquency Involvement by Level of Belief, Marion County Youth Study 94 X Level of Delinquency Involvement by Level of Belief, Causes of Delinquency (in Percent) .. 94 viii TABLE PAGE XI Level of Self-Reported Delinquent Acts by Occupation of Father (in Percent), Causes of Delinquency. 97 XII Delinquency Involvement by Father's Socioeconomic Status, Mari on County Youth Study . • . 97 XIII Father's Socioeconomic Status and Level of Attachment, ~1ari on County Youth Study . 99 . XIV Father's Socioeconomic Status and Level of Belief, Na ri on County Youth Study . 99 XV Father's Socioeconomic Status and Level of Commitment, r~ari on County Youth Study . .. 101 XVI Father's Socioeconomic Status and Level of Involvement, Mari on County Youth Study . 101 XVII Changes in Level of Attachment From 1964 to 1967 . 107 XVIII Delinquency Involvement by Initial (1964) and Subsequent (1967) Level of Attachment . 109 XIX Changes i n Level of Commitlilent from 1964 to 1967 . 11 0 XX Delinquency Involvement by Initial (1964) and Subsequent ( 1967) Level of Commitment . 112 XXI Changes in Level of Involvement From 1964 to 1967 114 XXII Delinquency Involvement by Initial (1964 and Subsequent (1967) Level Involvement . .. 115 XXIII Initial (1964) and Subsequent (1967) Level of Attach- ment and Social Class ..... 120 ix TABLE PAGE XXIV Initial (1964) and Subsequent (1967) Level of Attachment and Grade Poi nt Average . 122 XXV Initial (1964) and Subsequent (1967) Levels of Commitment and Socioeconomic Status • • • . 124 XXVI Initial (1964) and Subsequent (1967) Level of Commitment by Grade Point Average · .
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