differential association theory
Cards (5)
- differential association theory -
- proposes that individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques and motives for offending behaviour through association and interaction with different people
- scientific basis -
- Sutherland - developed 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
- theory was/is designed to discriminate between individuals who become offenders and those who do not - whatever social class or ethnic background
- offending as a learned behaviour -
- behaviour may be acquired in the same way as any other behaviour through the process of learning
- occurs most often through interactions with significant others who the child values most and spends most time with (family and peer group)
- differential association suggests that it should be possible to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit offences
- need to know the frequency, intensity and duration of exposure to deviant and non-deviant norms and values
- offending arises from 2 factors -
- learning attitudes - when a persons socialised into a group they'll be exposed to values and attitudes towards the law - if number of pro-criminal attitudes the person comes to acquire outweighs the number of anti-crime attitudes they will go on to offend
- learning techniques - as well as exposure to pro-crime attitudes the would-be offender may also learn particular techniques for committing offences - eg breaking into a house via a locked window
- socialisation in prison -
- whilst inside prison inmates will learn specific techniques of offending from other, more experienced offenders that they may put into practice upon their release
- may be why so many convicts released from prison go on to offend
- learning may occur through observational learning and imitation or direct tuition from offending peers