NCJ Number
118599
Date Published
1989
Length
33 pages
Annotation
After examining some forerunners of contemporary control theory, this chapter reviews several of the more prominent examples of control theory as they have emerged within the general context of criminological theory.
Abstract
The work of Durkheim and the Chicago School contributed much to the reconsideration of the basic assumptions about the relationship between human nature and social order. This marked the development of control theory, which suggests that crime and delinquency are going to occur unless people conform to normative social demands. Prominent examples of control theory include Reiss's theory of personal and social controls, Nye's family-focused theory of social controls, Reckless's containment theory, the neutralization theory developed by Sykes and Matza as later modified by Matza's drift theory, and Hirschi's control theory with its focus on social bonds. Regarding prevention, control theories suggest programs to strengthen families, educational programs which facilitate maximum involvement in school activities and identification with the school, and the strengthening of conventional belief systems so as to reduce the possibility of norm neutralization. Regarding rehabilitation, control theories suggest involvement with and exposure to the influence of societal norms rather than isolation from such norms in a punitive institution.