ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we evaluate the significance of Francis T. “Frank” Cullen’s contribution to theoretical criminology. We first recall the formation and background of social support theory during the renaissance years of liberalism in the early days of the 1990s and the rise of one of the top criminal justice Ph.D. programs in the nation at the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Few criminological ideas are as explicit in their link to the progressive crime control agenda as social support theory, which calls for creating a society with more social support for at-risk youths, families, and communities. Then, we paraphrase social support theory and its impact on criminological research. We believe that social support theory advances crime prevention by advocating doing something for our citizens. The theory resonates with Americans’ personal and imagined experience and it leads to specific policies that are humane and efficacious. We conclude that, as an open and evolving theory, it holds a great deal of promise.
