Social Bond
Definition
The set of ties that connect an individual to conventional society. In Hirschi's model, the bond has four elements: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Crime becomes possible when the bond weakens.
- Theorist
- Travis Hirschi
- Element 1
- Attachment
- Element 2
- Commitment
- Element 3
- Involvement
- Element 4
- Belief
Common questions
How does a weak social bond lead to crime under Hirschi's theory?+
Hirschi's control theory does not ask why people offend; it asks why most people do not. It argues everyone has some motivation to break rules, and it is the strength of the bond to conventional society, not a special criminal motivation, that restrains most people from acting on it.
What is the difference between attachment and commitment in the social bond?+
Attachment refers to emotional ties to others, such as caring what parents or peers think. Commitment refers to the investment a person has built in conventional life, such as education or a career, that they stand to lose by offending. Weakness in one does not automatically mean weakness in the other.
Is social bond theory the same as social learning theory?+
No, they answer different questions. Social bond theory explains restraint through ties to conventional society. Social learning theory (Akers) explains how criminal behaviour itself is learned through association, reinforcement, and imitation. They are often taught alongside each other but rest on different mechanisms.
Related terms
- Analogous Behaviours
- Non-criminal acts that, according to the general theory, stem from the same low self-control as crime: reckless driving, smoking, alcohol misuse, employment...
- Attachment
- Emotional sensitivity to the opinion of significant others, particularly parents, teachers, and peers. An attached individual cares about what these others think...
- Commitment
- Investment in conventional lines of activity such as education, career, and reputation. A person with high commitment has much to lose from...
- General Theory of Crime
- The theory proposed by Gottfredson and Hirschi in 1990 holding that low self-control is the single variable explaining the universal age-crime curve....
- Low Self-Control
- A stable personality trait characterised by impulsivity, insensitivity, risk-seeking, short-sightedness, and preference for non-verbal over cognitive tasks. Gottfredson and Hirschi argue it...