"Got my own mind, I want to make my own decisions; when it has to do with my own life, I wanna be the one in control.' These lyrics, sung by Janet Jackson, hold similar ideas that tie into social control theory. The song talks about being in control of one's own life and the choices they make. Those choices and decisions can be heavily influenced by factors like: relationships, commitments, values, norms, and beliefs. According to social control theory, these factors also have influence our likelihood to break the law. Primarily the theory focuses on external factors and how they influence a person's life. Moreover, it also takes focus on how the absence of a meaningful or close relationship with others can untie them from social constraints, which would allow them to participate in delinquency. .
Social strain theory, also similar to social control theory, was developed by famed American sociologist Robert K. Merton. The theory states that social structures may pressure citizens to commit crimes . Strain may be structural, which refers to the processes at the societal level that filter down and affect how the individual perceives his or her needs. Strain may also be individual, which refers to the frictions and pains experienced by an individual as he or she looks for ways to satisfy individual needs. These types of strain can insinuate social structures within society that then pressure citizens to become criminals.
The theory of control was the brain child of Travis Hirschi in 1969. His idea was that individuals break the law because of a break down or deterioration of social bonds. He also refers so four key foundations that constitute this bond. The first is the idea of attachment to other individuals. For example, in the role of parental attachment, there has been research suggesting a negative relationship between attachment and delinquency. This means that the greater the attachment between child and parent, the lower chance a child is going to be involved in activities going against social norms.
