DA Theory

• What is differential association theory?

  A social learning theory of crime
• Who proposed differential association theory?

  Sutherland in 1939
• What do individuals learn through differential association theory?

  Values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for crime
• How do criminal attitudes influence behavior according to differential association theory?

  They shape the individual's own criminal attitudes
• What factors influence the likelihood of offending according to Sutherland?

  The criminal norms/values of the social group
• What are the two factors that lead to criminality according to differential association theory?

  • Learning attitudes towards crime
  • Learning specific criminal acts
• What happens if pro-criminal attitudes outweigh anti-criminal attitudes?

  The individual is likely to offend
• What three aspects predict the likelihood of committing a crime?

  Frequency, intensity, and duration of exposure
• How do criminals learn specific acts of crime?

  Through observation and teaching
• What role do role models play in criminal behavior?

  They provide opportunities to model deviant behaviors
• What is vicarious reinforcement in the context of crime?

  Learning from the success of role models
• How might crime 'breed' among specific social groups?

  Through shared pro-criminal norms and values
• What did Osborne and West (1979) find about criminal fathers?

  40% of sons had committed a crime
• What are the strengths of differential association theory?

  • Accounts for crime in all societal sectors
  • Shifts blame from individual to social factors
  • Highlights white-collar crime
• What are the weaknesses of differential association theory?

  • Supportive evidence is correlational
  • Offenders may seek out other offenders
  • Risk of stereotyping impoverished individuals
• What does the theory suggest about exposure to pro-criminal values?

  It may be sufficient to produce offending
• Why might Gary have offended according to differential association theory?

  He was influenced by pro-criminal peers
• How could differential association theory explain reoffending after prison?

  Exposure to pro-criminal values in prison
• What is the challenge in applying differential association theory to crime prevention?

  Identifying and changing pro-criminal influences