Understanding Juvenile Delinquent Behavior through Social Bonding

Abstract

Social control theory is often used to understand the many facets of social bonding opportunities and juvenile delinquency behavior. Various theories have been used to help explain delinquent behaviors and the reason for such actions against the community such as strain, differential association, social learning, symbolic interaction, and social control theories. However, social control theory and its four elements of social bonding (attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief) seem to be the most effective for understanding the dynamics of why young individuals participate in delinquency.