The Social Bond theory was created by Travis Hirschi in 1969. Historically, this theory has been used to approach social problems and explain them. Individuals naturally tend towards delinquency, and according to Hirschi, the conventional bond that an individual forms in society determine whether he or she will become delinquent. This bond is comprised of four basic elements: "attachment, commitment, involvement, and moral belief regarding committing a crime" (Hirschi, 1969). Before in order to apply this theory, there is a need to have a comprehensive understanding of these elements. This paper's principal goal is to identify and define the major concepts of the Social Bonding theory (attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief). The paper will then use the central prepositions in Social Bonding theory to explain criminal and deviant behaviour.
Attachment refers to the strength of affection, bond, and respect that exists between a person and his or her significant others. The individual's social environment, such as his or her relationship with parents and social institutions such as teachers and friends, is important and plays a significant role (Hirschi, 1969). Attachment is virtually important for the internalization of conventional values. It can help prevent deviance, provided that the circle of the individual's social environment does not represent deviant norms. Commitment refers to the investments or stakes that a person has in conventional standards and goals. According to Hirschi, individuals who have invested in compliant goals or with stakes in conformity or commodities, such as education, employment, and good reputation, have more to lose through deviant behaviour than their counterparts (Hirschi, 1969). According to Hirschi, individuals who are extensively involved in conventional activities do not have time to participate in criminal behaviours or acts. The last element is belief, which can generally be interpreted as the moral belief that pertains to committing a crime. The more an individual internalizes mainstream society's values and norms, the more difficult it becomes for him or her to violate them.
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Hirschi's Social Bonding theory has flickered an immense level of interest among researchers seeking to test the theory. In fact, of all theories, Hirschi's Social Bond theory is among the most widely tested criminology theories. Some empirical research findings are equivocal about the empirical status of this theory. Other research studies have concluded that the Social Bonding theory is one of the most well-supported criminology theories. Even some of Hirschi's critics conceded that some of the elements specified in Hirschi's theory help explain criminal behaviour or delinquent acts. One such empirical study is the 2018 study conducted by Back et al. According to Back et al. (2018), Hirschi's Social Bonding theory can be used to explain juvenile hacking offences. In another study, Çam (2010) conducted a study to test Hirschi's Social Bonding theory. He investigated its validity to juveniles' marijuana use in Turkey. The study's findings were largely unswerving with the proposition of Hirschi's Social Bonding theory. A wide range of empirical studies shows support for Hirschi's theory.
To sum up, Hirschi's theory is one of the most well-supported theories in criminology. This theory has been widely used to approach social problems and explain. The theory is comprised of four elements: attachment, commitment, involvement, and moral belief regarding committing a crime. These four elements help explain how individuals naturally tend toward delinquency and how conventional bonds prevents or reduces juvenile offending.
References
Back, S., Soor, S., & LaPrade, J. (2018). Juvenile hackers: An empirical test of self-control theory and social bonding theory. International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime , 1 (1), 40-55.
Çam, T. (2010). Explaining marijuana use among Turkish juveniles: A test of Hirschi's social bonding theory . The University of North Texas.
Hirschi, T. (1969). Key idea: Hirschi's social bond/social control theory. Key Ideas in Criminology and Criminal Justice, (1969) , 55-69.
