Parenting Exericse 
Parenting can be a challenging responsibility. Fare supposed suppose to teach children how to behave. Ideally, 
parents have control over their children in many ways. 
• 
What are ways parents have “direct” control over their children? 
• 
What are ways parents have “indirect” control over their children? 
Commitment refers to the rational component of the social bond. If we are committed to conformity, our 
actions and decisions will mirror our commitment. People invest time, energy, and money into expected 
behavior like school, sports, career development, or playing a musical instrument. These are examples 
of Toby’s “stakes in conformity.” If people started committing a crime, they would risk losing these 
investments. Involvement and commitment are related. Since our time and energy are limited, Hirschi 
thought people who were involved in socially accepted activities would have little time to commit a crime. 
The observational phrase “idle hands are the devil’s worship” fits this component. Belief was the final 
component of the social bond. Hirschi claimed some juveniles are less likely to obey the law. Although 
some control theorists believed juveniles are tied to the conventional moral order and “drift” in and out of 
delinquency by neutralizing controls (Matza, 1964), Hirschi disagreed.
3 He believed people vary in their 
beliefs about the rules of society. The essential element of the bond is an attachment. Eventually, Hirschi 
moved away from his social bond theory into the general theory of crime. 
Hirschi Exercise 
Hirschi believed strong social bonds made people less likely to commit a crime. The components of a social bond 
include attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Please describe each of the components of the social 
bond and explain how each applies to your educational journey. How can you be attached, committed, involved, 
and believe in higher education? 
Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) claimed their theory could explain all crime by all people. They argued the 
lack of self-control was the primary cause of criminal behaviors. They claim most ordinary crimes require 
few skills to commit and have an immediate payoff.
4 There is not any long-term planning or goal; crimes 
are committed for immediate pleasure. Moreover, they claim, people who commit these ordinary crimes 
tend to be impulsive, insensitive to the suffering of others, short-sighted, and adventuresome. If true, these 
traits (low self-control) were established before the person started committing crimes and will continue to 
manifest throughout a person’s life. The root cause of low self-control is ineffective parenting. If parents are 
not attached to their child, supervise their child, recognize the child’s deviant behaviors, or discipline their 
3. Matza, D. (1964). Delinquency and drift. New York, NY: John Wiley. 
4. Gottfredson, M., & Hirschi, T. (1990). A general theory of crime. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 
ALISON S. BURKE, DAVID CARTER, BRIAN FEDOREK, TIFFANY MOREY, LORE RUTZ-BURRI, AND SHANELL
SANCHEZ
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