Losing her parents, Stoney had to take care of herself and her brother. In the social bond theory, crime is more likely to happen if there is an attachment or lack of attachment. In Stoney’s case, her attachment was to her brother Stevie. When her brother was killed wrongfully by police, she lost her attachment. This led her to question the law. I believe that this also led to her robbing the bank. This theory best describes the loss of her parents and brother and reflects her response to rob the bank.
I would also apply the social bond theory to Cleo. Cleo’s attachment to her friends is strong, and she deeply values their relationships. This bond with her friends provides a sense of belonging and loyalty, even if it leads her into criminal activities. Her attachment to her friends might be stronger than her attachment to societal norms, which influence her behavior. Cleo’s belief in the legitimacy of societal rules and laws is weak. She sees the system as unjust and discriminatory, which justifies her criminal actions in her mind. This lack of belief in the fairness of societal rules contributes to her willingness to engage in criminal behavior.
Frankie would be a prime example of social learning theory. This theory means criminal behavior is learned by observing and intimating. I would apply observational learning to Frankie because she had experience in the bank. She knows exactly what to tell bank tellers so that they sound off the alarm. The reinforcement of guaranteed money also leads to wanting to participate in bank robbery. Social bond theory could also be applied to TT. This theory is made up of 4 components, and each one applies to TT. The loss of her son is considered attachment. Her commitment to being financially stable is overcome by her illegitimate means of obtaining it. TT then gets involved in robbing a bank. This is something she never thought of doing. But because she is poor and her child is gone, she would do anything to get him back. She believed the system she lived in was unfair financially and systematically. One example would be daycare being too expensive for her to pay for.
