Social psychological explanations suggest that criminal behaviour is learned through interactions with others. According to differential association theory, people develop pro-criminal attitudes by associating with peers or family members who hold such views. This understanding can inform interventions like restorative justice programmes, where offenders are encouraged to reflect on the consequences of their actions through direct communication with victims. This challenges their learned beliefs about crime by promoting empathy and social responsibility. Additionally, gender socialisation theory highlights how social expectations influence behaviour; for example, reducing aggressive role modelling in male peer groups could lower future offending. These approaches aim to modify criminal behaviour by changing the social influences that shaped it
