Social Control

Influences on School Shootings

• Factors Related to School Shootings:

  • Early childhood trauma

  • Actions of other shooters observed

  • Reaching a crisis point

  • Availability of means to carry out violent plans

Strategies to Prevent School Shootings

• Unlearning Behaviors:

  • Rewriting the script for potential shooters

  • Enforcing a no notoriety policy for shooters

  • Preventive intervention by educators

  • Criminal prosecution of parents of shooters

  • Issues related to providing guns to shooters

  • Failure to recognize and act on warning signs

Mechanisms of Differential Reinforcement

• Social Learning Theory - Differential Reinforcement:

  • Criminal behavior is learned through:

    • Imitation

    • Direct conditioning

    • Rewards from behaviors

    • Avoidance of negative reinforcement

    • Punishment serving as a deterrent

Defining Criminal Behavior

• Behavioral Definitions:

  • Criminal behavior is shaped by:

    • Associations with groups that control reinforcement and punishment

    • Exposure to behavioral models and norms

Neutralization in Criminal Behavior

• Neutralization Theory:

  • "Drifting" between criminal and conventional values

    • Experience of guilt

    • Respect and admiration for law-abiding individuals

    • Choices on who to victimize

    • Participation in law-abiding activities

Techniques of Neutralization

• Common Neutralization Techniques:

  • Denial of responsibility

  • Denial of injury

  • Denial of victim

  • Condemnation of the condemners

  • Appeal to higher loyalties

Overview of Social Process Theories

• Social Process Theories:

  • Social Learning Theory: "People are good and learn to be bad."

  • Social Control Theory: "People are bad and learn to be good."

  • Labeling Theory: "People are controlled by the reactions of others, regardless of being good or bad."

Hirschi's Social Control Theory

• Core Concepts of Social Control Theory:

  • Assumes people are inherently bad, requiring control for goodness

  • Asks, "Why don’t people commit crimes?"
    - Emphasis on social bonds through conventional institutions

  • Fear of harming conventional relationships plays a role

Elements of Social Bond

• Attachment:

  • Connection to others fosters social norms and behavior expectations

• Commitment:

  • Engagement in conformity creating a stake in proper behavior

Involvement and Social Bond

• Involvement:

  • Limited resources like time and energy draw people toward conventional activities

  • Strict schedules and deadlines reduce opportunities for criminal behavior

• Proverb: "Idle hands are the devil’s workshop."

Belief in Social Bond

• Belief:

  • Shared common values on right/wrong leads to no need for neutralization

  • Criminals may recognize wrongdoing yet persist

  • Individuals vary in their adherence to societal rules; weaker belief increases likelihood of violations

Role of Social Bonds in Crime Prevention

• Social Bonds as Controls:

  • How social bonds prevent criminal behavior

  • Comparison between influence of parents and peers:

    • Peers may lure into delinquency

    • Light family influence counteracts peer delinquency

Warr Research on Parents and Peers

• Research Question by Warr:

  • Examines the interaction between parents and peers

• Research Design:

  • Utilized National Youth Survey for quantitative data

  • Random sampling of US households collecting self-reported delinquency and influences

Interaction Between Parents and Peers

• Findings:

  • Parents & peers do not work independently in influencing behavior

  • Quantity of time with family can mitigate delinquent peer impact

  • Family attachment reduces risk of associating with delinquent friends

Understanding Low Self-Control

• Variability in Self-Control:

  • Individuals differ in susceptibility to criminal temptations

  • No unique skills required to engage in crime

Low Self-Control Causes

• Influence of Caregivers:

  • Lack of care from parents leads to behavioral issues

  • Insufficient parental engagement in monitoring behaviors

  • Parents’ failure to recognize or punish deviance is crucial

Impact of Parental Criminality

• Consequences of Criminal Parenting:

  • Criminal parents often fail to socialize their children appropriately

  • Most disapprove of crime, yet their lifestyle negatively influences children

Crime's Appeal and Self-Control

• Crime vs. Self-Control:

  • Crime offers immediate satisfaction

  • Excitement and risk associated with crime drive involvement

  • Few skills needed for participation increase likelihood among social individuals

Summary of Self-Control Elements

• Gottfredson & Hirschi's View:

  • Those lacking self-control tend to be:

    • Impulsive, insensitive, and risk-taking

    • Engage in criminal or related acts due to nature

Evaluating Social Learning Theories

• Strengths and Limitations:

  • Explains a broader range of crimes than structural theories

  • Applicable across cultures

  • Fails to adequately explain senseless violence

  • Potential flaws in understanding causal relationships