Control Theory and Delinquency

A comprehensive set of flashcards based on key concepts from the Control Theory and Delinquency lecture, covering various theories and definitions related to crime and social control.

What is the main question asked by Control Theory?

Why don’t people commit crimes, even when it seems rewarding or easy?

According to Control Theory, what prevents people from committing crime?

Effective social and cultural controls—like morals, relationships, and social bonds—deter criminal behavior.

What does Emile Durkheim’s term anomie mean?

A state of normlessness caused by rapid social change, where individuals lose connection to shared moral rules.

What are Durkheim’s two components of social solidarity?

Integration (shared beliefs and unity) and Regulation (social forces that restrain behavior).

How did the Industrial Revolution contribute to anomie, according to Durkheim?

It disrupted traditional norms and weakened community bonds, increasing deviance.

How did the Chicago School influence Control Theory?

It emphasized community structure and environment as key factors shaping conformity or deviance.

What is Charles Cooley’s 'Looking-Glass Self'?

The idea that we develop our self-concept by imagining how others see us; feedback shapes our behavior and self-control.

According to Cooley, why is feedback important in childhood?

It helps children learn acceptable behavior and internalize social norms.

What did George Herbert Mead mean by the 'I' and the 'Me'?

The 'I' is impulsive and self-driven; the 'Me' is shaped by societal expectations. Balance creates self-control.

What happens when socialization fails, according to Mead?

The person lacks internal control and becomes more prone to deviance.

Who was the first to predict delinquency using 'personal and social controls'?

Albert Reiss.

What is the difference between Reiss’s personal and social control?

Personal control is an individual’s ability to resist deviance; social control is society’s ability to enforce rules.

What did F. Ivan Nye identify as the most important source of social control?

The family.

What are Nye’s three types of control?

Direct (punishment/reward), Indirect (affection and approval), and Internal (conscience/morals).

What does Walter Reckless’s Containment Theory state?

People are 'contained' by internal self-control and external supports; crime happens when these fail.

What are inner and outer containments?

Inner: self-control, conscience, responsibility. Outer: family, school, law, community structure.

What question did Sykes and Matza’s Neutralization Theory answer?

Why delinquents see themselves as normal and stop offending as adults.

What are the five main Techniques of Neutralization?

Denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victim, condemnation of condemners, appeal to higher loyalties.

What does Drift Theory propose?

People drift between conformity and deviance depending on social pressures and opportunity.

What is the main idea of Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory?

Crime occurs when a person’s social bonds are weak or broken.

List the four social bonds in Hirschi’s theory.

Attachment, Commitment, Involvement, and Belief.

What does 'Attachment' mean in Social Bond Theory?

Emotional connection to others—especially parents—creates indirect control by not wanting to disappoint them.

What does 'Commitment' refer to?

Investment in conventional goals like school, work, and success; people don’t want to jeopardize their future.

What does 'Involvement' mean?

Being busy with conventional activities (work, school, clubs) limits time for deviance.

What does 'Belief' refer to in Hirschi’s theory?

Respect for societal norms and laws; believing rules are fair reduces crime.

What is the key idea of Hirschi and Gottfredson’s Self-Control Theory?

Crime results from low self-control—impulsive, thrill-seeking, short-term gratification behavior.

How is self-control learned?

Through effective parenting: monitoring, recognizing misbehavior, and correcting it consistently.

What are the two elements of self-control?

Capacity to resist impulses and desire to behave appropriately.

How do social bonds and self-control relate?

People with high self-control tend to form stronger bonds; weak bonds reflect low self-control.

What does John Hagan’s Power-Control Theory explain?

How family structure and gender influence delinquency—boys are more likely to offend in patriarchal families.

What is the difference between patriarchal and egalitarian families in Power-Control Theory?

Patriarchal families control daughters more; egalitarian families supervise both genders equally.

What is Charles Tittle’s Control Balance Theory?

Deviance depends on the ratio of control a person exercises vs. control they are under.

What happens in a control deficit versus control surplus?

Deficit → predatory crime (to gain control). Surplus → exploitation or white-collar crime (abuse of power).

What is Mark Colvin’s Differential Coercion Theory?

Crime is caused by exposure to coercion—both interpersonal (threats, punishment) and impersonal (structural pressure).

What happens when coercion is erratic and harsh?

It produces chronic offenders who adopt a 'coercive worldview,' seeing aggression as survival.

What is the central idea of Labeling Theory?

Being labeled as 'criminal' can reinforce criminal identity and behavior instead of stopping it.

Who first argued that labeling is criminogenic?

Frank Tannenbaum.

What did Tannenbaum mean by 'dramatization of evil'?

Punishing someone labels them as evil, which changes their self-image and leads to further deviance.

What is Edwin Lemert’s distinction between primary and secondary deviance?

Primary deviance is minor and temporary; secondary deviance occurs when a person internalizes the deviant label.

According to Becker, Erikson, and Kitsuse, what creates deviance?

Society defines certain behaviors as criminal through power and social reaction.

What is the 'self-fulfilling prophecy' in Labeling Theory?

False definitions (like calling someone a criminal) become true when people act according to that label.

What did Robert Sampson find about police bias?

Police are more likely to arrest juveniles in poor neighborhoods, showing class and racial bias in labeling.

What is John Braithwaite’s Reintegrative Shaming Theory?

Disintegrative shaming excludes offenders; reintegrative shaming forgives and helps reintegrate them into society.

What is Lawrence Sherman’s Defiance Theory?

When offenders feel punished unfairly, they react with pride and anger—becoming more defiant.

What does T.R. Tyler’s Procedural Justice Theory argue?

People obey laws more when they perceive fairness and respectful treatment from authorities.

What is Rose and Clear’s Coerced Mobility Theory?

Mass incarceration removes men from poor communities, weakening families and increasing crime when they return.

List the four main policy responses inspired by Labeling Theory.

Decriminalization, Diversion, Due Process, and Deinstitutionalization.

What is Restorative Justice?

A process that repairs harm by reconciling victims, offenders, and communities through forgiveness and accountability.

What is the main argument of Conflict Theory?

Crime arises from inequality and power struggles; laws benefit those in control.

According to Marx and Engels, what causes conflict in society?

The capitalist system, which divides people into classes and exploits workers.

What did Georg Simmel say about conflict?

It’s a normal and necessary part of society that can promote order and adaptation.

What did Willem Bonger argue about capitalism and crime?

Capitalism breeds selfishness (egoism) and poverty, which encourage crime.

How did Sutherland and Sellin connect Conflict Theory to Differential Association?

They showed that differing social norms and learned behaviors create moral conflicts that lead to crime.

What did George Vold emphasize about groups and law?

Groups compete for power; laws reflect the interests of dominant groups, criminalizing the powerless.

What did Austin Turk argue in 'Criminality and the Legal Order'?

The law is a tool for the powerful; conflict arises when authority norms don’t match public values.

What is William Chambliss’s concept of Legal Realism?

The law should be studied as it’s practiced in reality—it often serves the interests of the powerful.

What was Richard Quinney’s view on crime and power?

Laws are created to protect the ruling class; crime reflects class struggle.

What are Quinney’s 'Crimes of Dominance'?

Crimes of control (police abuse), crimes of government (corruption), and crimes of economic domination (white-collar).

What are 'Crimes of Accommodation and Resistance'?

Crimes committed by the oppressed, like theft, violence, or political rebellion.

What does Instrumental Marxism propose?

That the ruling elite directly control the law to maintain their own power and privilege.

What is Peacemaking Criminology?

A humane approach focusing on compassion, forgiveness, and conflict resolution instead of punishment.