Informal social control and adolescent misbehavior

Abstract

This study is an attempt to examine the relationship between informal social control and adolescent misbehavior in a low-cost housing area. The objective of the study is to examine whether the existing neighborhood relationship system was able to act as an informal social control mechanism to tackle adolescent misbehavior. A total of 19 respondents were chosen as a study sample based on the interview technique. Results showed that loose neighborhood interaction has resulted in adolescent misbehavior. Furthermore, the accessibility to cyber café that attracted adolescence to feel the togetherness in their leisure times but was out of the parent's, society and legal control has increased their misbehaviors. The neighborhood was looked upon to function as an effective informal social control and able to organize community based programs to tackle adolescent misbehavior, which can develop into social problem in the study area.