Head Start Program and Social Control Theory Explained
This paper examines the federal Head Start Program — a comprehensive early childhood development initiative serving low-income families — and analyzes it through the framework of social control theory. The paper outlines Head Start's history, goals, performance standards, and specialized components such as American Indian Head Start, Migrant Head Start, and Early Head Start. It then applies Travis Hirschi's social control theory to explain how the program addresses deviant behavior by strengthening social bonds, improving socialization, and building pro-social attachments in young children. Research evidence on reduced crime rates and improved behavioral outcomes among Head Start graduates is also discussed.
- Introduction to the Head Start Program: Origins and overview of the federal Head Start initiative
- Program Goals and Performance Standards: Goals, funding structure, and 1994 performance standard reforms
- Specialized Head Start Programs: American Indian, Migrant, and community-based Head Start variants
- Early Head Start and Behavioral Outcomes: EHS services for infants and evidence on behavioral improvements
- Social Control Theory and Head Start: Hirschi's theory applied to Head Start program design
- Research Evidence and Program Impact: Crime reduction statistics and long-term graduate outcomes
- Conclusion: Funding gaps and call for expanded investment
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper provides a thorough description of the Head Start Program's structure before applying theory, giving readers a strong factual foundation before the analytical layer is introduced.
- It draws on multiple peer-reviewed sources and government reports to support both descriptive claims and evaluative conclusions, lending credibility to its arguments.
- The application of social control theory is clearly connected back to Head Start's documented outcomes, such as reduced crime rates and improved behavioral development, creating a coherent argument arc.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied theoretical analysis: it describes an empirical social program in detail and then systematically maps a criminological theory — Hirschi's social control theory — onto that program's design and outcomes. This technique of using theory as an interpretive lens is a core undergraduate social science skill.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an overview of Head Start's origins and purpose, then details its goals, performance standards, and specialized sub-programs (American Indian, Migrant, and Early Head Start). The second half introduces social control theory, explains Hirschi's four social bonds, and applies them to Head Start's logic and outcomes. The paper closes with statistical evidence of effectiveness and a brief policy argument for increased funding.
Introduction to the Head Start Program
For America's young children between the ages of three and five who belong to low-income families, a comprehensive set of developmental services — including social services for their families — is offered by a nationwide plan called Head Start. To meet particular local requirements, approximately 1,400 community-based non-profit organizations and school systems develop individualized programs. Head Start was launched in 1965 under the Office of Economic Opportunity and is now administered by the Administration for Children and Families.
The Head Start Program was built on the premise that all children share certain common needs, and that children from low-income families can benefit from a comprehensive developmental program designed to meet those needs. The Head Start approach rests on several key assumptions: a child can benefit from a comprehensive, interdisciplinary plan to promote growth and development; because the family is the primary influence on the child's development, both the family and the surrounding community must be included in the program; and local communities are given the freedom to design creative program plans as long as the core purposes, goals, and principles of the overall program are maintained. The overarching aim of the Head Start Program is to foster a higher degree of social competence in children from low-income families. Social competence refers to the child's day-to-day effectiveness in dealing with both present circumstances and future tasks in school and later in life (Zill, 2003, p. 2).
References
Box, S. (1981). Deviance, reality and society. International Thomson Publishing.
Garces, E., Thomas, D., & Currie, J. (2002). Longer-term effects of Head Start. American Economic Review, 92(4), 999–1012.
Kuperschmidt, J. B., Bryant, D., & Willoughby, M. (2000). Prevalence of aggressive behaviors among preschoolers in Head Start and community child care programs. Behavioral Disorders, 26, 42–52.
Love, J. M., et al. (2002). Making a difference in the lives of infants and toddlers and their families: The impacts of Early Head Start (Vol. I, Final Technical Report). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau.
Oden, S., Schweinhart, L. J., Weikart, D. P., Marcus, S. M., & Xie, Y. (2000). Into adulthood: A study of the effects of Head Start. High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.
Webster-Stratton, C., Reid, M. J., & Hammond, M. (2001). Preventing conduct problems, promoting social competence: A parent and teacher training partnership in Head Start. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 30(3), 283–302.
Zill, N., et al. (2003). Head Start faces 2000: A whole-child perspective on program performance. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
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