Le Blanc, Marc: An Integrated Personal Control Theory of Deviant Behavior

Rebecca Schnupp

In 1997, Marc Le Blanc formally proposed a multilayered generic control theory of deviant behavior. This reconceptualization of control theory was meant to expand traditional control theories in two fundamental ways. First, unlike other control theories, his theory incorporates multiple levels of explanation (i.e., individual, community, and event) and argues that these levels are interdependent and function as a system of control. Second, this theory addresses the development of control over the life course. Specifically, Le Blanc contends that over the life course there is continuity and change in the level of control that individuals have, which explains changes in deviance over time. Although his theory is multilayered, this entry focuses on the layer that pertains to the individual deviance—personal control. It describes the theory's personal control mechanisms, its structure, and the role of continuity and stability in deviant behavior. This layer of his theory is part of the control ...

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