ABSTRACT
Two of the most commonly identified sources of delinquent behavior are family and friends. Intuition tells us that bad families and bad companions produce bad kids. Social relationships have a powerful influence on behavior. Two groups of theory consider social relations to be central to delinquent behavior. One group, called social learning theories, adopts the common theme that social relations with delinquent peers motivate and bring about delinquent behavior by providing the primary group context in which delinquent attitudes and behaviors are learned and reinforced. This will be the topic of Chapter 10. A second group of theories emphasizes the importance of social relations in controlling behavior. Referred to as social control theories, this group of theories pays close attention to the family as an institution of social control. In fact, considerations about the role of the family in delinquent behavior are left largely to the control perspective (Johnson 1979). The control perspective is distinctive not only because of the important role given to the family, but also because of its attempts to explain conformity rather than what motivates delinquent behavior.
