Looking for a place in the world…

Question

John is a 14-year-old boy who lives in Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape. He lives
at his unemployed grandmother’s house with his three younger sisters and two
older brothers. They survive off of his grandmother’s pension grant. John does not
really care about what goes on in his grandmother or siblings lives and he comes
home late.
John’s parents are divorced and both of them rejected him completely. Although
John is enrolled in the local primary school, he is not committed to school, he rarely
attends classes and he is not involved in any recreational activities. He rather
enjoys spending time with the young boys in town who goes about vandalising
buildings, smoking, drinking and causing trouble in neighbourhoods.
John does not really believe in respecting the rights of others or the laws of the
country, and thus John has been arrested for stealing a Bluetooth speaker at OK
Furnishers and assaulting the security guard of the shop.

In the case study above, ‘Looking for a place in the world…’, identify the four
elements of ‘Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory’, apply it to the case study and
provide an explanation of each of the elements [12]

Answer 1

Hirschi's Social Bond Theory proposes that individuals are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior if they have weak social bonds to society. The four elements of this theory are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief.

1. Attachment: This refers to the emotional connection an individual feels towards others, such as family, friends, and community. In the case of John, he lacks attachment to his grandmother and siblings. He does not care about their lives and comes home late, indicating a weak attachment to his family. This lack of emotional connection may contribute to his delinquent behavior.

2. Commitment: This element refers to the level of investment an individual has in conventional societal goals and values. John demonstrates a lack of commitment to school and education. He rarely attends classes and is not involved in any recreational activities. Instead, he chooses to spend time with other boys engaged in delinquent behavior. This lack of commitment to conventional goals may make John more susceptible to engaging in criminal activities.

3. Involvement: This element relates to the extent to which an individual is engaged in conventional activities and social institutions, such as school, work, or extracurricular activities. John is not actively involved in school or any other positive activities. Instead, he spends his time with peers who engage in vandalism, smoking, and drinking. This lack of involvement in prosocial activities leaves John with more opportunity and inclination to engage in delinquent behavior.

4. Belief: This element refers to an individual's acceptance and adherence to conventional social norms and values. John does not believe in respecting the rights of others or the laws of the country, as evidenced by his involvement in stealing and assaulting the security guard. His lack of belief in the importance of following societal rules and norms makes him more likely to engage in delinquent behavior.

Overall, John's weak social bonds to society, as shown by his lack of attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief in conventional values, contribute to his engagement in delinquent behavior such as stealing and assault.