Social Control, Delinquency, and Youth Status Achievement: A Developmental Approach

This study examines the impact of formal control and informal control on delinquency and youth status achievement. Theories relating to social control, delinquency, and status achievement, including labeling, deterrence, and social bond, are integrated under the life course perspective. A structural equation model based on a set of longitudinal data is used to test the impact of social control on delinquency and status achievement. This study finds that formal sanctions have a negative effect on status achievement. Informal social control, measured by the strength of social bond, increases the likelihood of high status achievement by decreasing youths' involvement in delinquent relationships and antisocial behavior. This study demonstrates the need for integrating both formal control and informal control into status attainment research.