Forensic - differential association theory Flashcards
What does DAT propose about criminal beh?
Learn values, attitudes, techniques and motives for criminal beh. through interaction and association w/ diff. ppl.
Sutherland developed a set of scientific principles that could explain all types offending.
How does exposure to attitudes and values cause criminal beh.?
Exposed to attitudes and values towards the law - some pro-crime and some anti. No. of pro-criminal outweighs anti attitudes they will go onto to offend.
How can exposure to attitudes and values be calculated?
Possible to mathematically calculate how likely someone to commit crime if we know frequency, intensity and duration they have been exposed.
How does learning specific acts lead to criminal beh.?
Would-be criminals may learn particular techniques for committing crimes e.g. how to break into someones house through locked window or disable a car alarm.
In prison can learn new techniques of offending as lots of prisoners put together - go on to reoffend to try new techniques.
DAT AO3: Why does this exp. have good scope?
Accounts for crime in all sectors of society. Some times of crime (e.g. burglary) clustered within certain inner city working class communities. Some crime more prevalent than others amongst the working class (e.g. white collar) may be feature of middle class social groups who share deviant norms and values.
DAT AO3: Why is it a positive that this exp. shifts the focus?
Sutherland successful at moving emphasis away from biological exp. of crime like Lombroso’s atavistic theory and away from those who explained it as product of ind. weakness or immorality.
Draws attention to the fact that dysfunctional social circumstances and environments may be more to blame for criminal beh. in some circumstances.
More desirable as offers a more realistic solution to problem of crime.
DAT AO3: Why does this exp. not have good scientific status?
It is difficult to test. Meant to be scientific w/ mathematical framework that predicts future beh. However, it is v. difficult to see how many pro-criminal or anti attitudes an ind. has been exposed to.
W/o ability to measure these, difficult to know at what point urge to offend is realised and criminal career triggered. Doesn’t provide satisfactory solution to these issues undermining scientific status.
DAT AO3: Why are ind. diff.s an issue w/ this exp.?
Not everyone exposed to criminal influences goes on to commit crime. Stereotyping ind.s who come from impoverished, crime-ridden backgrounds as ‘unavoidably criminal’. Theory suggests exposure to pro-criminal values is sufficient to produce offending beh. and ignores that may chose not to offend despite such influences.
