DAT Flashcards
What does differential association theory (DAT) assume about criminal behavior?
Individuals learn criminality and offending behavior via their contact and experience with others
This theory emphasizes social interaction in the learning of criminal behavior.
Who developed differential association theory and when?
Sutherland developed DAT in 1924
Sutherland’s work aimed to understand the transmission of crime among individuals.
What is the first principle of differential association theory?
Criminal behavior is learned, not inherited
How is criminal behavior learned according to DAT?
Via interaction with others
What type of relationships have the biggest influence on learning criminal behavior?
The closest, most intimate relationships
What can individuals learn from others in the context of criminality?
Criminal ‘tricks of the trade’ and a criminal mindset
How does repeated exposure to criminals affect criminality?
Criminality is strengthened by repeated exposure to criminals
Does contact with criminals remain constant according to DAT?
No, contact with criminals will vary and not necessarily be constant
How do people learn criminality?
By observation, repetition, imitation, internalisation
What does criminality express according to DAT?
Needs, norms, and values that apply to both criminal and non-criminal behaviors
What kind of attitudes towards crime might be learned?
Disregard for other people’s rights, seeing law-abiding behavior as ‘foolish’, viewing police as ‘enemy’
What are some examples of learned criminal acts?
How to break into a house, the best spot to sell drugs, how to evade capture
Is mere exposure to criminal attitudes enough to influence behavior?
Yes, as long as these attitudes outweigh law-abiding attitudes
What did Sutherland argue about crime in relation to social learning?
Crime does not happen in a vacuum; it is learned via social mechanisms
What key risk factors did Farrington et al. (2006) identify for turning to crime?
- Having a convicted parent
- Coming from a large family living in poverty
- Having low educational attainment
According to Reiss & Rhodes (1964), how does friendship influence criminal behavior?
Boys in close friendship triads are more likely to behave criminally if other members also behave criminally
What is one strength of differential association theory?
Still relevant 100 years later in explaining gang membership and skill acquisition in criminality
How did DAT change the debate around criminality?
Advanced the debate from biological and moral/religious to social-psychological
What is a weakness of differential association theory?
Over-simplistic in asserting that criminality will follow mere exposure to criminal attitudes
What limitation does DAT have in explaining individual behavior?
Cannot explain why some people surrounded by criminal influences never turn to crime
What side of the nature/nurture debate does DAT align with?
Firmly on the side of nurture, emphasizing environmental factors
What does the emphasis on learning in DAT suggest about environmental determinism?
It implies that individuals will inevitably turn to crime if exposed to more criminal than non-criminal influences
