Labelling Theory

• What is labelling in relation to crime?

  When someone is being given a label due to a deviant behaviour.

  A majority group considers a minority group as inferior and the label is negative
• According to this theory, what makes a behaviour criminal/deviant?

  Something is only criminal/deviant if society says it is
• What does the label that is given dependant on?

  The context of the behaviour.

  If someone kills another person, they are labelled as a murder and are punished. But in war, it is normalised to kill and is seen as heroic
• What might happen once someone is labelled as a criminal?

  The may become stigmatised and treated differentl, they may also have low self-esteem and likely to accept the label and go on to commit more crime
• What is retrospective labelling?

  Assuming someones criminal behaviour in the past will be repeated
• What is projective labelling?

  Assume that if they engage in criminal behaviour in the present, they will in the future
• What did Chambliss find that supports labelling theory as an explanation of crime?

  roughnecks were more likely to be labelled as deviant by the police and more likely to have legal action taken against them by the police
• What did Lieberman find that supports Labelling theory as an explanation of crime?

  juveniles who had previously been arrested were more likely to commit other crimes compared to juveniles not previously arrested.
• How does the use of marihuana in Amsterdam being labelled as not deviant support labelling theory?

  Marihuana is not labelled as deviant in Amsterdam so there was limited drug use and lower numbers of overdoses.
• How is labelling theory reductionist?

  only focuses on the nurture explanation and ignores biological influences.