Self-control and social control : An examination of gender, ethnicity, class and delinquency

Abstract: This paper tests the relationship between self-control, social-control, gender, age, ethnicity, social class and delinquent behaviour. The data source is a survey of senior and junior high school students in Alberta, Canada. Results offer strong support for the General Theory of Crime (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990), in that self-control is the strongest predictor of all types of delinquency. Moreover, self and social-control interact in their relationship with delinquency, as suggested by the control theories. However, among various dimensions of self-control, risk-seeking followed by impulsivity are more predictive of delinquent behaviour than other dimensions. Contrary to our hypothesis, present orientation, carelessness and restlessness are unrelated to delinquency. Finally, gender, age and ethnicity maintain a significant relationship with delinquency even after controlling for self- and social-control. Resume: Cet expose examine le rapport entre la maitrise de soi, le contrele social, le sexe, l'age, les racines ethniques, la classe sociale et la delinquance. Les donnees sont issues d'un sondage effectue aupres d'etudiant(e)s de niveau secondaire en Alberta, Canada. Les resultats tendent a confirmer la theorie generale du crime (Gottfredson et Hirschi, 1990), en ce que la maitrise de soi est le plus fort indicateur de tous les types de delinquance. De plus, la maitrise de soi et le controle social interagissent dans leur rapport avec la delinquance, comme le suggerent les theories de contro1e. Cependant, de toutes les dimensions de la maitrise de soi, le desir de prendre des risques ainsi que l'impulsion sont respectivement les plus determinantes sur le plan de la delinquance. Contrairement a notre hypothese, l'orientation actuelle, la negligence et l'agitation n'ont aucun rapport avec la delinquance. Enfin, le sexe, l'age et les racines ethniques maintiennent un rapport important avec la delinquance meme apres le controle pour la maitrise de soi et le controle social. The role of control in reducing crime has been one of the main focuses of criminological theories. These theories explain crime in terms of weak internal control mechanisms developed in early childhood in combination with weak or absent social rules. Control theories suggest that left on their own (in an unsocialized state) people will deviate. Internal and external control mechanisms prevent them from doing so. One can trace ideas about this kind of control of behaviour to early philosophy (e.g., Hobbes in Leviathan) and through the modern development of sociology and criminology (Reiss, 1951; Reckless, 1955; Nye, 1958, for examples). However, research on control theory has moved in two directions. One body of research places emphasis on the importance of external (social) control while a second body focuses on internal (self) control. It is rare that the two are treated simultaneously. It is our contention in this paper that the two interact in a way to better explain behaviour. In the late 1960s Hirschi (1969: 16-34) argued that socialization processes (in the family and other societal institutions) foster an individual's bond to society. Social-control was operationalized as a bond to some part of society. The social bond is said to have four dimensions: attachment or ties to significant others (peers or parents), commitment or investment in conventional society (as in education), involvement in conventional behaviour (such as participation in recreational activities), and belief in society's values (respect for law and authority). Consistent with this theory, empirical research shows that attachment and commitment to, involvement with and, belief in conventional institutions reduce criminal tendencies (for the importance of family see Glueck and Glueck, 1950; Nye, 1958; Hirschi, 1969; Hagan et al., 1985, 1988; Rosenbaum, 1989; McCord, 1991; Wells and Rankin, 1991; Hirschi and Gottfredson, 1993, and for the importance of school see Stinchcombe, 1964; Wiatrowski et al. …