Differential association theory Flashcards
differential asociation theory
individuals learn the values, attitudes motives and techniques for criminal behaviour through association and interaction with other people
scientific basis
sutherland developed a set of scientific principles that could explain offending
crime as a learned behaviour
offending behaviour may be aquired through learning - this occurs through interaction with others
pro criminal attitudes
when socialised into a group you are exposed to values and attitudes. some will be pro criminal and some will be anti-crime.
sutherland argued that if the number of pro-criminal attitudes the person comes to outweigh the number of anti-criminal they will go onto offend.
what does differential association suggest?
suggests that it should be possible to mathematically predict how likely it will be that an individual will commit a crime if we have knowledge of the frequency intensity and duration of which they have been exposed to deviant and non-deviant norms
learning criminal acts
techniques may include how to break into someones house through a locked door etc`
Farrington et al (2006)
- cambridge study in delinquent development a longitudinal study in deliquent development in 411 males
- began as children age 8 in 1961 living in inner city london
- looked at criminal careers from convictions up to age of 50.
- of all males 41% were convicted of at least 1 offence
- most important factor between 8-10 was family criminality
explanatory power
this can account for all crime within all sectors of society. sutherland recognises crimes such as burglary may be clustered with inner-city working class communities. it may also be the case that affluent groups are more prone to certain crimes
shift of focus
this theory has helped move the theory of criminality away from being biological .
the theory also draws attention to the idea that dysfunctional and social circumstances may be more to blame for dysfunctional people
difficulty in testing
theory suffers from being difficult to test
pro criminal attitudes are hard to be measured
alternative explanations
sutherland suggested that the response of the family is crucial to determining if the individual will re offend
individual differences
even though sutherland suggested crime should be considered on an individual basis there is danger with the differential theory of stereotyping people who came from poor backgrounds and are deemed ‘unavoidably criminal’
