Lesson 7 – Differential Association Theory

Question 1

What is differential association theory

Answer 1

This explanation of offending proposes that offending depends on the norms/values of the offender’s social group. Offending is more likely to occur where the social group values deviant behaviour.

Question 2

Differential association theory basis

Answer 2

When a person is socialised into a social group they will be exposed to the
group’s norms and values towards the law. Some groups will be pro-crime, some will be anti-crime. Sutherland (1924) argues that if the number of pro-criminal attitudes that a person comes into contact with out-weigh the number of anti-criminal attitudes then they will become an offender.

Question 3

Differential association theory learning process

Answer 3

The learning process is the same whether the person is learning criminality or conformity to the law (or indeed, any other behaviour). Learning can occur through imitation, vicarious reinforcement, direct reinforcement or direct tuition from criminal peers.

Question 4

Differential association theory crime predictions

Answer 4

Differential association suggests that it should be possible to mathematically predict how likely it is that someone will commit crime, if we have knowledge of the frequency, intensity and duration of which they have been exposed to criminal and non-criminal norms and values.

Question 5

Differential association theory reoffending

Answer 5

In addition to being exposed to pro-criminal attitudes, the potential offender
may also learn particular techniques for committing crime. These might include how to pick locks, hot wire a car etc. This theory explains how crime can spread among specific social groups and communities. Sutherland (1924) can account for why so many convicts released from prison go on to reoffend. It is reasonable to assume that whilst in prison inmates will learn specific offending from more experienced criminals that they then put into practice upon their release.

Question 6

Strengths of differential association theory

Answer 6

This theory is able to account for crime within all sectors of society. While Sutherland (1924) recognised that some types of crime, such as burglary, may be clustered within inner-city, working class communities, it is also the case that some crimes are most prevalent among affluent groups. White-collar (sometimes referred to as corporate crime) is a feature of middle-class social groups.

Sutherland was successful in moving the emphasis away from early biological explanations of crime (i.e. Lombroso) and those explanations which saw offending as being the product of individual weakness or immorality. Differential association theory draws attention to the role of dysfunctional social circumstances and environments in criminality.

Differential association theory offers a more desirable and realistic solution to offending behaviour than the biological solution (eugenics) or the morality solution (punishment).

Question 7

Weaknesses of differential association theory

Answer 7

Differential association theory is difficult to test scientifically, most of the evidence to support it is correlational (does not demonstrate cause and effect). How can the pro-crime attitudes a person has been exposed to be measured? Similarly, the theory is built on the assumption that offending behaviour will occur when pro-criminal values outnumber anti-criminal ones. However, without being able to measure these values, it is difficult to know at what point the urge to offend will trigger a criminal career.

Not everyone who is exposed to criminal influences goes on to commit crime. There is a danger that this theory could stereotype individuals who come from impoverished, crime-ridden backgrounds as ‘unavoidably criminal’. The theory ignores the fact that people might choose not to offend despite criminal influences, in other words it ignore people’s free will. For example, offenders may seek out people with criminal values rather than being passively influenced by them.