differential association theory

• Proposes idividuals learn values, attitudes, techniques amd motives for offending behaviour through association and interaction with different people eg being around ppl with positive attitudes to crime
• Scientific basis


  Sutherland set himself task of developing a 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 should be absent when crime is absent - his theory was and is designed to dicriminate between individuals who become offenders and those who do not whatever their social class or ethnic background.