General Theory of Crime and Drinking and Driving(self control)

Running head : GENERAL THEORY OF CRIME AND DRINKING AND DRIVING (SELF CONTROL

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Institution

Introduction

Gottfredson and Hirschi in their book , `A General Theory of Crime (1990 ) postulated that the self control was a major determining factor in the predisposition of an individual to commit crimes . They argued that an individual with low self control was more likely to commit crimes than was someone with a high level of self control (Gottfredson Hirschi , 1990 . This theory was an improvement on Hirschi 's theory of social control which posited that an

individual abstains from deviant behavior due to a number of factors . These factors included attachment to people , commitment to ideals , participation in community activities and beliefs in social norms (Hirschi , 1969 . Thus juvenile delinquency and criminal behavior were the hallmark of individuals who held these factors with low regard

Debate over the general theory of crime has revolved around the issue of whether it is able to explain all criminal activity within the scope of self control . Critics of the theory argue that though the concept holds true for many situations it is by no means the only factor that explains the reasons why people engage in criminal behavior . Studies have been undertaken by a number of researchers to test the theory and in all cases there has been admission that it is indeed valid . Carl Keane et al (1993 ) tested the theory and found that those people who had low self control were more likely to drink and drive and had a predisposition for risky behavior . They were also more likely to ignore calls to avoid driving and wear a seatbelt

In an attempt to prove the validity of the same theory , Robert Silverman et al conducted a study entitled `Self-Control and Social Control : An Examination of Gender , Ethnicity , Class and Delinquency (2000 ) in which they rested the theory to establish whether there were other factors that were responsible for deviant behavior . The study established that while self control played a major role in determining deviant behavior , they identified other factors that influenced individuals to act recklessly and engage in criminal activities . Their studies of the Canadian aboriginals showed that a traditional pattern of deviant behavior among them . They tried to explain the phenomena by analyzing the historical marginalization of the community (Nakhaie et al , 2000 . They posited this as the reason why criminal acts were frequently carried out by them . In essence , Silverman and his colleagues were introducing an element of strain theories of crime to explain deviant behavior (Merton , 1938

Their studies on gender revealed a pattern of male predisposition to crime as opposed to females . To try and explain this , the researchers implied that the patriarchal system that existed over time placed more restraints on the activities of females than on males . This prevented them from getting involved in deviant behavior . The power control theory developed by John Hagan seems to support this assertion

Social class also appears to have an effect on the likelihood of...