Comparative Analysis of Social Control Theory in Criminology

This report delves into the social control theory within criminology, focusing on its role in understanding and explaining criminal behavior. The report highlights the theory's core principles, such as the importance of conventional activities, commitment, belief in moral strength, and attachment. It contrasts crime rates and safety perceptions in Nigeria and South Africa, using the theory to analyze factors influencing crime. The report examines how social control mechanisms and individual self-control impact crime rates, concluding that Nigeria is safer for tourists than South Africa based on the theory's application. This report provides a comparative analysis, exploring the influence of economic conditions and political stability on crime, and offering insights into tourist safety based on criminological principles.

Criminal Justice
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Table of Contents
Theory in Criminology.................................................................................................................................2

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Theory in Criminology
Criminology is defined as the scientific study of crime by using various theoretical concepts that
includes the nature of criminal behavior. The major goal of criminological theory is to support
others in achieving an understanding of crime as well as criminal justice. There possess several
theories in criminology; among that one of the best theory in criminology is "social control
theory." The social control theory explains the factors that prevent people from becoming
criminal instead of those aspects that make people criminal. The theory has identified the four
primary characteristics of people such as participation in conventional activities, commitment to
attainment, belief in moral strength of rules, and supplement to others. It also explains that if the
person is having all the characteristics, then he or she would be less likely to become criminal.
The features that have been described by the criminology theory are influenced by the people in
various countries, which makes the county safe for tourists. The theory expanded the idea that an
individual having low self-control is more likely to become a criminal. As compared to other
criminology theories the social control theory, focuses upon the factors based on not committing
crime by the people. The theory also states that most of the people commit the crime if they do
not have self-control that is enforced by the society on every person.
It is found that the rate of crime is high in South Africa as compared to Nigeria as the crime
index is 76.92% in South Africa and 64.46% in Nigeria. The safety scale in Nigeria is lower than
South Africa as it shows 35.54% & safety for the people, whereas, in South Africa, it shows
23.08%. Moreover, it can be said that Nigeria is the safest place to visit for tourists in
comparison with South Africa. Based on the criminology theory, the country handled the crimes
informally through various social control institutions. Within the theory it has been argued by the
criminologists that there possess several people in Nigeria with low self-control who has the

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opportunity to commit the crime, still there is a low rate of crime in the country. The theory
states that the crime rate would be high in Nigeria as it consist of large number of people with
low self-control. Indeed, self-control must be much more prevalent in Nigeria than in South
Africa. The theory examined the developing status, economic insecurities, and political
instability in Nigeria to describe their interactions with personal characteristics. Based on the
statistics, Nigeria has a moderate level of safe environment for the tourist during the day time
while South Africa has a low level of safety. Social control theory implies that people in Nigeria
with low self-control have opportunities to commit the crime, but they do not. The individuals
had self-interests for survival to contravene the barrier of high self-control. The theory identified
that the country having people with high self-control like in South Africa are more likely to
commit crime other than the people having low self-control like in Nigeria. Hence, Nigeria is
determined to be the safest place for tourists in Africa.