Evaluation of Labelling and Crime

Question 1

+ Besemer

Answer 1

Besemer et al. found there was a link between someone being convicted of a criminal offence and their parent having a criminal record. Offenders reported being labelled due to their parents’ behaviour - validates link between labelling and criminality

Question 2

+ Official bias

Answer 2

Official bias has been found to occur. This is when the police or criminal justice system focus on certain families - suggests real-life presence of labelling, affecting how law is enforced, validating the theory

Question 3

• Ramoutar and Farrington

Answer 3

Ramoutar and Farrington looked at criminals participating in violent crime and found that females are more affected by parental negative labelling than males - reduces validity of theory as it suggests it is not the case in men

Question 4

• Unlikely all labelleing

Answer 4

It is unlikely that all criminal and anti-social behaviour is the result of labelling - theory does not provide an accurate explanation of all types of crime - other theories (e.g. social learning) may provide better explanations