Forensics - Differential Association Theory Flashcards
Outline what Sutherland suggested about how criminal behaviour is learned
Sutherland (1939) suggested that criminal behaviour is learned through association with and interaction with different people.
This was an attempt to explain all types of offending.
According to the theory, criminal behaviour is learned in the same way as other behaviour, through interactions with others (e.g., the family, peers and so on).
What are the 2 features of differential association theory?
- Pro-criminal attitudes
- Learning criminal acts
Outline the ‘pro-criminal attitudes’ feature of differential association theory
If an individual is socialised into a group where there are more pro-criminal attitudes than there are anti-criminal attitudes, they will go on to offend.
Pro-criminal attitudes may include a disrespect for police officers, disregard for the law, and justification for crimes.
If a person is consistently exposed to such attitudes from many people, they are very likely to commit crimes.
Outline the ‘learning criminal acts’ feature of differential association theory
The potential criminal learns the practicalities of how to carry out criminal acts, such as picking a lock or disabling a car alarm system. Such learning takes place in groups, and may also happen when in prison, which could explain high rates of re-offending amongst released prisoners.
Evaluate differential association theory - groups
This theory can explain why different types of crime are common amongst different groups of people (such as burglary amongst working-class urban groups), as the attitudes towards the crime and how carry it out are learned and shared amongst the group. This is a strength of the theory.
However, there is a danger of stereotyping individuals in crime-ridden backgrounds – ignores free-will, Sutherland says to consider on case-by-case business
Evaluate differential association theory - role of environment
Sutherland’s theory drew attention to the role of environments and learning in offending behaviour, moving away from the outdated atavistic approach.
This is a strength of the theory as it offers a more realistic solution that can predict and prevent crime, increasing its usefulness.
Evaluate differential association theory - scientific
The theory is hard to test, for example how to measure the amount of pro-criminal attitudes a person has been exposed to in their lives. Therefore, the theory could be argued to lack scientific rigour.
