Families, Delinquency and Crime \"According

Families, Delinquency and Crime

"According to a General Theory,

the major cause of delinquency and crime over the life course is low self-control and the major cause of low self-control is family processes of informal social control… at no point in the life course should informal social control have a direct effect on delinquency

or crime in the presence of self-control"

(Gibbs, Potter, DiBiase & Devlin, 2008, ¶ 3).

For Part a of this study, the researcher assesses James, a 29-year-old African-American male, imprisoned in a medium security unit at Riverbend Maximum Security Institute in Nashville, Tennessee for attempted murder. James dropped out of high school during his junior year, however, earned his GED in prison. The researcher compares James to Cory, a 15-year-old male, one of nine adolescent boys incarcerated in a juvenile correctional facility in the Midwest; a participant of the study, "A glimpse into the lives of nine youths in a correctional facility: insight into theories of delinquency," conducted by Kelly L. Webster, Colleen a. MacDonald and Todd F. Lewis (2008).

In the publication, "Social control theory," Travis Hirschi (N.d), University of Arizona, examine components of social control theory. In social control theory, Hirschi explains, "actors weigh the costs and benefits of alternative lines of action, legal and illegal, and choose those they consider most likely to maximize their pleasure" (p. 109). The PowerPoint presentation, "Self-Control Theory -- a general theory of crime and deviance," (N.d.) notes that situations and cultural serve as boundaries for a number of theories of deviance such as social control theory. Gottfredson and Hirschi developed self-control theory to address this limitation with the majority of theories of deviance. Self-control theory serves as a general theory of crime and deviance to explain crime/deviance in every place and time.

Individuals with low-self-control, according to Gottfredson and Hirschi are impulsive and frequently seek immediate gratification. They are risk-takers, likely to the prospect of possible negative consequences. They are typically unstable and do not stay focused for extended periods of time. They are usually not able to make or maintain commitments. They are generally impatient and possess low tolerance for frustration. Low-self-control individuals are more physically orientated than they are than mentally oriented. They are also insensitive to what others need and self-centered (Self-Control Theory…, N.d.).

Webster, MacDonald and. Lewis (2008) explain components of social control theory. Social control theory asserts that the individual's social connections to his/her family, friends, work and school, as well as to numerous "other conventional aspects of society minimize the likelihood of engagement in delinquent or criminal behavior" (Webster, MacDonald & Lewis 2008, ¶ 4). Social control theory also proposes that, along with peers with honorable values, parental supervision, along with adequate moral behavior shaping, reduces the probability that youths will engage in delinquent behaviors and/or substance use/abuse.

Prior to his imprisonment, James demonstrated antisocial and delinquent behaviors. He routinely displayed risk-taking behaviors; regularly abusing and selling drugs. By self-admission, James led a life of "hooking and crooking." Due to his life-style of self-centeredness and routinely engaging in illegal activities, without considering the prospects of potential negative consequences, After serving a number of short sentences for convictions for drug related charged, James received a ten-year sentence for his third conviction which evolved from a drug deal gone bad.

In the researcher's opinion, the primary factors that contributed to James's behaviors included an absent father and a permissive mother, who due to low socio-economics, neglected to effectively parent James. James grew up in an environment where drug activity was prevalent. Along with being self-centered, James lacked coping skills and possessed low tolerance for frustration.