Social Bonding and DevianceDeviance is a term used to describe behavior that goes against established social and cultural norms. The concept of deviance is complex because norms vary considerably between groups, times and places. Essentially, individuals engage in deviant behavior when society defines it as such. In the field of criminology, there are a number of theories that attempt to explain why some people engage in deviant behavior, while others refrain. One such theory is Travis Hirschi's Social Bond, which would ultimately become the model for later control theories. This article will analyze aspects of social control theory and social bonds, with the goal of seeing if they can deter deviant behavior. Social control theory focuses on how the lack of close relationships with others can free individuals from social constraints, allowing them to engage in delinquency. Unlike most theories in criminology that claim to explain why people commit crimes, control theories justify why people obey rules (Cartwright, 2013). Theories of social control focus primarily on the external factors and processes by which rules become effective. Proponents of this theory believe that deviance and crime occur due to inadequate constraints. This theory also examines a person's lack of control over society and explains how deviant behaviors occur in proportion to the strength of the social bond. Essentially, social control theory assumes a shared value or belief in social norms. Therefore, even those who break laws or violate social norms share the general belief that these rules must be respected (Cartwright, 2013). So the essence of social control theory is... middle of paper ... people who grew up with bad parental figures and who firmly believed that they had no place in conventional society. This ties in with Thornberry's concept of developmental changes at different stages of adolescence. When these individuals did not have a significant attachment to their family during their childhood, they have already begun to reject certain rules of society. This, coupled with Laub and Sampsons' assertion that social connections increase an individual's social capital, which in turn restricts deviant behavior, almost guarantees a path to deviance for that individual. Furthermore, as the study by Bouffard and Petkovesk showed, social ties do indeed have an effect on certain types of deviant behavior. As mentioned previously, the readings truly convinced me that social connections play a vital role in the decision to participate in deviant behavior..