Attachment, masculinity, and self-control: A theory of male crime rates

Attachment theory and research from developmental psychology suggest that disruptions in attachments to primary caregivers in early childhood have long-term negative consequences. Scholars in the emerging field of men’s studies argue that boys disproportionately experience these disruptions of early attachment and that these disruptions are causally related to elements of what is often described as the masculine gender role. These two bodies of theory and research are combined with Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) theory of low self-control in a new theory of disproportionate male offending.