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In recent years, harsher sentences have been pursued in criminal offenses leading to an increase in the use of incarceration. Prisons, largely unable to keep up with this demand, have become overcrowded in most areas. In response to prison overcrowding, some jurisdictions have begun to experiment with electronically monitored house arrest. This thesis is composed of a literature review and proposed study of recidivism in electronic monitoring (EM) programs. The literature review is composed of a general review of the history of corrections, a review of literature on electronic monitoring programs and social bond theory. The history of corrections serves to partially explain the emergence of electronic monitoring programs as an outcome of the adoption and failure of other forms of intermediate sanctions. The present state of electronic monitoring, including a description of the technology incorporated in these programs, the extent to which EM programs are implemented, and their cost effectiveness are discussed. In addition, some legal implications of its use are discussed. A review of previous research indicates numerous gaps in the existing evaluation of electronic monitoring programs. Because of these gaps many research questions are not sufficiently answered by the literature review. The rate of recidivism for EM programs compared to that of other correctional programs remains unclear. The underlying factors that affect the recidivism rate for EM programs also remains unclear. In addition, the effects on the offender, the offender’s family, peer group, and employment are not identified. The two reasons responsible for the inability of previous studies to adequately assess the rate of recidivism for EM programs compared to standard probation of parole and the underlying factors predicting recidivism are the exclusion of variables pertaining to the effects of electronic monitoring on the offender as well as the lack of theory needed to understand the relationships of recidivism, and type or correctional program. Literature on social bond theory is reviewed in order to provide theory to the examination of recidivism in electronic monitoring programs. Beginning with an explanation of Hirschi’s original work (1969), the review extends to empirical literature on the social bond. Finding this literature to be strongly supportive of social bond theory, it is adopted as a structure to examine recidivism. Primarily used in the study of delinquency, social bond theory is adapted to apply to the study of adult populations and recidivism, and the possible effects of EM on the social bond is discussed. A proposed research study is then presented examining the effects of EM on social bond factors and subsequently recidivism. The relevance of control variables, including length of sentence, type of offense, and prior convictions are discussed as well as the measurement of variables related to social bond theory. A structural equation model is developed that incorporates the control variables, bond variables, program variables, and recidivism, allowing for a simultaneous estimation of their relationships, using LISREL 8. It is hypothesized that EM programs, more than standard probation and parole positively affect the social bond of an offender to his or her family, peer group, and employment. In addition, it is believed that a stronger social bond to the institutions of family, peer group, and employment results in a lower incidence of recidivism. / Master of Science

Crimes committed by juvenile offenders are a significant concern of society. In response to this concern, the juvenile justice system addresses juvenile crimes in a developmentally appropriate manner. The goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate juvenile offenders and steer them from a life of crime and toward becoming productive members of society. Yet, some juvenile offenders continue to offend. While research has explored juvenile offenders’ perceptions of juvenile delinquency, re-entry, and recidivism, less is known about how the detention center prepares juvenile offenders for re-entry. The following study explores the perceptions of detained juvenile offenders in a southeastern detention center regarding how the detention center prepares them to reenter their communities and those efforts on preventing future recidivism. This study reviews how the detention center helps juvenile offenders connect to their communities through the lens of the social bond theory and developmental assets framework. By reviewing the interviews of detained juvenile offenders, the findings of this study contribute to the research literature and encourage future work in this area.

Trots att barns relation till sina föräldrar har tillmätts stor betydelse i flera teorier om brottsutsatthet har ingen svensk- eller engelskspråkig studie undersökt sambanden mellan barns tid med sina föräldrar och barnens utsatthet för brott. Genom logistisk regression av enkätsvaren från 1 248 svenska barn mellan 10 och 18 år och  deras föräldrar undersöks två hypoteser: 1) att tiden som barn och unga har med sina föräldrar är negativt korrelerad till utsatthet för brott och 2) att detta samband kvarstår men försvagas efter kontroller för klass och ekonomisk status. Av studien framgår ett signifikant och tydligt samband mellan upplevd föräldratid och brottsutsatthet. Oddsen att utsättas för brott är lite mer än två gånger högre för barn som upplever minst tid med sina föräldrar jämfört med barn som inte upplever tidsbrist med någon av sina föräldrar. Sambandet är tydligt även efter kontroll för ålder, kön, konflikter inom familjen, familjetyp samt relativ fattigdom. Sambandet påverkas inte i någon större grad av klass, vilket kan ha att göra med att den uppmätta brottsutsattheten inkluderar stöldbrott. Resultaten tolkas utifrån livsstilsteori och routine activity theory, i linje med det som kallas L-RAT-framework samt Hirschis teori om social kontroll.

Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-120).

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie har varit att undersöka professionellas förståelse för sitt och organisationens arbete med avhoppare som vill lämna kriminella grupperingar, samt studera hur samverkan fungerar mellan organisationer. För att besvara syftet har semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med yrkesverksamma som arbetar med avhoppare. Studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt har varit Travis Hirschis teori om sociala band och samverkansteori. Studiens empiri har tolkats genom tematisk analys. Studien visar på att professionella identifierar ett flertal påverkansfaktorer som är centrala i arbetet med avhoppare. När det gäller processen in i kriminalitet tar yrkesverksamma upp sociala aspekters betydelse, såsom påtryckningar från omgivningen, lojalitet, umgänge och sammanhang. Bristande skolgång och avsaknad av meningsfull fritid, samt individens egna betydelse lyfts också. Gällande processen ut ur kriminalitet betonar yrkesverksamma att akuta händelser, såsom dödsfall eller hot, är centrala aspekter. Många som väljer att lämna kriminaliteten gör det på grund av trauma och att orken att vara kriminell finns inte längre kvar. Nya sammanhang och nya värderingar i livet kan leda till att individer påbörjar avhopparprocessen. Samverkan beskrivs som ytterst nödvändig för att arbetet med målgruppen ska kunna bedrivas. Alla insatser sker genom samverkan och aktörer behöver inta en kompletterande roll gentemot varandra. Yrkesverksamma i arbetet med målgruppen har olika erfarenheter av möjligheter och begränsningar i arbetet. Samverkan och sekretess anses vara både möjliggörande, men även försvårande i arbetet. Att personalen är relationsskapande och personalomsättningen är låg, ger goda förutsättningar för att arbetet med målgruppen ska ge önskade resultat. Psykiatrin lyfts fram som en saknad aktör och ytterligare nationellt stöd efterfrågas för att arbetet i kommunerna ska bli mer samstämmigt. Slutsats kan dras att arbetet med målgruppen behöver fortsätta att vidareutvecklas och inkludera professionella på flera olika nivåer, lokalt, regionalt och nationellt.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In sociological literature and in health policies on adolescent sexual behavior, researchers, educators, and policymakers continue to express their concern with the high number of adolescents engaging in an early sexual debut because of pregnancy risk, high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In particular, much attention is given to the young age of sexual experiences among Black youth compared to those of other races. However, for Black female adolescents, the experiences and dilemmas they face can be more compelling, because the “Black female experience defies a singular definition” (Rozie-Battle 2002, p. 60). This study will fill a gap in previous literature on sexual decisions among Black teens by moving beyond a discussion of only negative decisions. If attachment and social bond theory are taken into consideration, family instability could weaken attachment and lead to riskier sex by weakening controls on undesirable behavior like condom non-use. These same theories would also pose that weakened attachment between family members and adolescent women can create replacement ties and stronger bonds to a sexual partner, which in turn leads to more sex, but not necessarily riskier sex. Utilizing the Young Women’s Project (YWP) at Indiana University, the present study investigates both of these hypotheses.

Sports have been proposed as a means of reducing participation in delinquency. One criminological theory that would support this hypothesis is Travis Hirschi's social bond theory. The involvement element of that theory proposes that engaging juveniles in non-delinquent activities reduces engagement in delinquency. However, the relationship between sports and delinquency has not been adequately tested. Data from the first wave of the National Youth Survey were examined by ordinary least squares regression to determine if there was evidence supporting school sponsored sports programs as a means of reducing delinquency. No evidence was found to support the research hypothesis. Involvement in sports actually was associated with an increase in some types of delinquency, though the slope of the regression line was very slight. This study was a piece of evidence bringing into question the legitimacy of the involvement element in social bond theory.

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Syftet med denna studie är att granska och undersöka de underliggande orsakerna till ungdomsbrottslighet samt att skaffa en fördjupad förståelse för de faktorer som bidrar till ungdomars deltagande i kriminella nätverk. Genom att genomföra intervjuer med företrädare för KRIS (Kriminellas Revansch i Samhället) och SSPF Grupp (skola, socialtjänst, polis och fritid i samverkan), har specifika faktorer som ligger till grund för ungdomsbrottsligheten kunnat identifieras och granskas. En kvalitativ forskningsansats har antagits för studien genom tillämpningen av två fokusgruppsintervjuer samt fyra individuella semistrukturerade intervjuer med sammanlagt tio respondenter. Denna studie har omfattat tillämpning av teorier såsom sociala bandteorin, social identitet och konformitet. Dessa väletablerade teorier har använts som ramar för att tolka och analysera resultatet. För att skapa en djupare förståelse för fenomenet har vi använt en socialpsykologisk ansats. Resultatet av studien präglas av upplevelser och erfarenheter hos våra intervjupersoner, vilka är yrkesverksamma på samhällsinstanser som arbetar med personer som antingen vill lämna eller har lämnat kriminalitet bakom sig. Slutsatsen i denna studie belyser faktorer som lockar ungdomar till kriminella sammanhang. Dessa inkluderar gemenskap, identitetssökande, grupptillhörighet, familjestruktur, skolgång, effekten av ungdomars vänskap, behovet av status, digitala lockbeten och rekrytering till kriminella nätverk. / The aim of this study is to explore the root causes of youth delinquency and gain deeper insights into the factors contributing to youths' involvement in criminal networks. Through interviews with representatives from KRIS (Criminals' Revenge in Society) and SSPF Group (School, Social Services, Police, and Leisure in Collaboration), specific factors underlying youth delinquency were identified and examined. This qualitative research utilized two focus group interviews and four individual semi-structured interviews with ten respondents in total. The study employed theories such as social bond theory, social identity, and conformity as analytical frameworks to interpret findings. By applying a social psychological approach, we aimed to understand the phenomenon more deeply. The results of our study are characterizedby the experiences and insights of our interviewees, who are professionals in social institutions working with individuals who either want to leave or have left criminality behind. The findings underscore various factors that attract youths to criminal contexts, including community, identity-seeking, group affiliation, family dynamics, schooling, peer influence, the pursuit of status, digital incentives, and recruitment into criminal networks. Through this research, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of youth delinquency and inform strategies for intervention and prevention.