Differential Association Theory

Question 1

What does the differential association theory suggest and who proposes it

Answer 1

Sutherland
Offending is learnt through socialisation
Believes that criminal behaviour is learned through interaction with others.
We learn our values, techniques and motivation for criminal behaviour

Everyone has different associations (differential associations)

Question 2

2 parts to Sutherland’s differential association theory

Answer 2

1- learned attitudes towards crime
2-learning of specific criminal acts

Question 3

1-learned attitudes towards crime

Answer 3

Pro-criminal attitude = criminality
If the number of pro-criminal attitudes a person acquires outweighs the number of anti-criminal attitudes, they will go on to offend.

calculation to predict the likelihood of someone committing a crime
-frequency, intensity and duration of their exposure to criminal & non-criminal norms and values

Question 4

Learning of specific criminal acts

Answer 4

criminals may also learn HOW to carry out crimes
This can help explain re-offending when people are released from prison - they can learn techniques from others while in prison.
Learning can happen through observation, imitation or direct tuition

Question 5

Supporting study - Farrington

Answer 5

Followed 411 males all working-class in deprived inner-city areas of London
Longitudinal study
By the end, 41% had at least one conviction
childhood risk factors-
family criminality, risk-taking,bad education, poverty, poor parenting

Suggests that offenders will come from families with pro-criminal norms

Question 6

Evaluation of differential association theory

Answer 6

✅ explains why rates of recidivism (reoffending after prison) are so high: People who are sent to prison will be surrounded by people who have positive attitudes towards crime and who will have knowledge of the methods involved in crime. These differential associations will further teach and encourage criminal behaviour, making a person sent to prison highly likely to reoffend.

✅ found that where there is a father with a criminal conviction, 40% of the sons had committed a crime by age 18

❌too determinstic - suggests if you have a criminal family you will also commit crime no free will.
❌doesnt really explain extreme crimes like serial killers.