ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the first and the most important element of Travis Hirschi's social control theory: attachment. After a brief theoretical exploration of the concept, attachment is defined as an individual's affectionate involvement in others and, hence, becoming sensitive to their views, wishes, and expectations. Attachment to parents often leads to the psychological presence of parents in the child's mind, even when they are absent. This aspect of attachment that is referred to as 'Indirect control' is discussed under the sub-heading of 'Parental supervision'. After attachment to parents, attachment to the school and the teacher(s) is strongly emphasised in control theory. In order to examine the relationship between attachment to the school and deviance in the Pilrig sample, 'liking the school', 'caring about teacher(s)' opinions, and the extent of 'attendance at school' were considered as indicators of the independent variable. The relationship between attachment to friends and deviance is examined.
