PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION: DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY Flashcards
Define differential association theory
An explanation for offending which proposes that, through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques and motives for criminal behaviour.
What did Sutherland suggest (3)
Sutherland set himself the task of developing a set of scientific principles that could explain all types of offending
'the conditions which are said to cause crime should be present when crime is present, and they should be absent when crime is absent'. His theory is designed to discriminate between individuals who become criminals and those who do not, whatever their race, class or ethnic background.
What did Sutherland say is meant by crime as learned behaviour (3)
- Offending behaviour may be acquired in the same way as any other behaviour through the processes of learning.
- This learning occurs most often through interactions with significant others that the child associates with, such as the family and peer group.
- Criminality arises from two factors: learned attitudes towards crime, and the learning
of specific criminal acts.
What is pro criminal attitude suggested by Sutherland
When a person is socialised into a group they will be exposed to values and attitudes towards the law.
Some of these values will be pro-crime, some of these will be anti-crime.
What is suntherland’s theory of pro criminal attitude (3)
- Sutherland argues that if the number of pro-criminal attitudes the person comes
to acquire outweighs the number of anti-criminal attitudes, they will go on to offend.- The learning process is the same whether a person is learning criminality or conformity to the law (or anything else for that matter).
- Differential association suggests that it should be possible to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit crime if we have knowledge of the frequency, intensity and duration of which they have been exposed to deviant and non-deviant norms and values.
Explain learning criminal acts + examples suggested by the DA theory
In addition to being exposed to pro-criminal attitudes, the would-be offender may also
Learn particular techniques for committing crime.
These might include how to breakinto someone's house through a locked window or how to disable a car stereo before stealing it.
What is sutherlands theory of reoffending (3)
an account of how crime may “breed’ amongst specific social groups and in communities, Sutherland’s theory can also account for why so many convicts released from prison go on to reoffend.
It is reasonable to assume that whilst inside prison inmates will learn specific techniques of offending from other, more experienced criminals that they may be eager to put into practice upon their release This learning may occur through observational learning and imitation or direct tuition from criminal peers.
Explain (2) Ferrington et al longitudinal study and findings (2) for the DA theory
longitudinal survey of the development of offending and antisocial behaviour in 411 males.
The study began when the children were aged 8 in 1961 and all living in a working-class,deprived, inner-city area of South London. findings describe their criminal careers up to age 50, looking at both efficially recorded convictions and self-reported offending. Findings: - 41% were convicted of at least one offence between age 10 and age 50. The average conviction career lasted from age 19 to 28 and included five convictions.
What did ferrington et Al suggest we’re the 5 main risk factors in childhood within the DA theory to explain criminal behaviour
The most important childhood ‘risk factors’ at age 8-10 for later offending were measures of
- family criminality - daring or risk-taking - low school attainment - poverty - poor parenting
Evaluate explanatory power in the DA theory (+ve)
Ability to account for crime within all sectors of society, Whilst Sutherland recognised some types of crime, such as burglary, may be clustered within certain inner city, working-class communities, it is also the case that some crimes were more prevalent amongst more affluent groups in society.
Sutherland was particularly interested in so-called “white-collar"or corporate crime and how this may be a feature of middle-class social groups who share deviant norms and values
Evaluate shift of focus in DA theory (+ve) (2)
sutherland was successful in moving the emphasis away from early biological accounts of crime, such as Lombroso’s atavistic theory, as well as away from those that explained offending as being the product of individual weakness or immorality.
draws attention to the fact that dysfunctional social circumstances and environments may be more to blame for criminality than dysfunctional people.⇒This approach is more desirable because it offers a more realistic solution to the problem of crime instead of eugenics (the biological solution) or punishment (the morality solution).
Evaluate individual differences in the DA theory (-ve) (3)
Not everyone who is exposed to criminal influences goes on to commit crime.
Even though Sutherland took great care to point out that crime should be considered on an individual case-by-case basis, there is a danger within theory of stereotyping individuals who come from impoverished, crime-ridden backgrounds as 'unavoidably criminal'. The theory tends to suggest that exposure to pro-criminal values is sufficient to produce offending in those who are exposed and ignores the fact that people may choose not to offend despite such influences.
