Sutherland- Differential association theory

• What are the 2 key elements for an individual to develop into an offender?

  
  

  1. Learning attitudes- Need to learn certain values/beliefs that support offending (through socialisation and internalisation)
  2. Imitation- Need to learn through observation (imitation) specific behaviours, skills and techniques for committing a crime.
• These learned attitudes are learned from family/peers through ASSOCIATION (socialisation). 

  
  

  Adults who surround a developing child will show a range of attitudes towards law and crime which impacts upon the child. 

  
  

  If this attitude favours criminal behaviour then criminal behaviour will be seen to be acceptable (normalised - imitation).
• Sutherland found that group attitudes in the workplace often normalised criminal behaviour (e.g by claiming 'everyone's doing it') which made it easier for individual members to justify their own criminal behaviour.​
• • The term ‘differential association’ specifically points in the direction of the two central elements of the theory:​

   1) that criminal behaviour is learned​

   2) it is learned in association with others​
• Matthews (1968) found that juvenile delinquents (young offenders) are more likely to have friends/peers who also offend.​
• Osborne and West (1982) claimed that where a father had a criminal conviction, 40% of their sons also had a conviction by the time they reached 18 in comparison to 13% of non offending fathers.​
• Walmsley discovered 1/3 of UK prisoners claimed to have a family member in prison.​
• Weaknesses of Sutherlands differential association theory.

  -Juvenile delinquents are more likely to have friends who commit anti-social acts (they learn from peer groups)

  -Not everyone exposed to criminal influences becomes criminal.
• What are the strengths of Sutherlands ‘Differential association’?


  -Crime does often run in the family