Social control theories provide a sound theoretical basis for why crime doesn’t happen (or more precisely, why conformity is the norm). It is surprising then that the vast majority of all efforts to study control theories’ major tenets examine areas high in crime. In his book America’s Safest City: Delinquency and Modernity in Suburbia, Singer provides a refreshing look at both conformity and deviance in Amherst, New York, a low-crime city in America. This gives readers a prime example of why most kids get into some trouble but ultimately avoid a life of crime.

In America’s Safest City, Singer does not rehash the theoretical orientation espoused by other control theorists but borrows elements from their perspectives, particularly those of Sampson and Laub [6] and Hagan [2], and frames them within the concept of relational modernity. Relational refers to the bonds that we have with others; our friends, parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, and other mentors in our life. Without these bon ...