Differential Association Theory

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Recommended: Psychological factors underlying criminal behaviour

The Differential Association Theory, established by Edwin Sutherland in 1947, explicit the deviance of an individual's behavior and how it is learned through interaction with others or associations. There are several components that play a role in this theory that determines the main causes of delinquency. One of the components of this theory is, a person do not inherently become a criminal, it is a learned behavior. A person cannot decide one day he wants to commit a crime if he is not influence or challenge by others. When someone engages in criminal acts, they are most likely influence in some way that motivates them to commit the crime.

This relates to another important component and that is, when criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes “specific criminal techniques that are learned by acquiring the motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes that is associated with particular behaviors” (Sutherland 1947). To determine where these specific drives and motives that trigger a person to become delinquent and violate the law, you will have to understand the legal codes of what favorable or unfavorable definitions are. According to Dr. Ryan Meldrum, examples of favorable definitions are: “the ‘high’ associated with using marijuana or getting initiated into a gang for having completed a task.” An example of unfavorable definition is when a child is punished by the parents because they misbehaved in school.

Last but not least, another component discuss is that, people learn either criminal or noncriminal behavior through interaction with other people. Criminal behavior is learned just like every other behavior. It is observe and interpreted through a process of communication. The Jack Roller: A delinquent boy...

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...mself into criminal activity such as stealing, to survive on the streets. He was caught by a police officer where he was arrested again and sent back to the detention home. Stanley stated “I was glad to get back Home and have a bath, good food, and a clean bed” (Shaw 59). After being rearrested many times due to running away, he was sent to different institutions such as St. Charles School for Boys. He was known as the “professional runaway” because he did not last long in these institutions. He would find a way to escape and get involved into delinquent behaviors.

Work Cited

Meldrum, Ryan. “Social Learning and Social Control Theories.” CCJ 3011- Nature and Causes

of Crime. Miami, FL. 9 March 2011. Lecture.

Shaw, Clifford. “The Jack-Roller: A Delinquent Boy’s Own Story.” 1966. Chicago, IL:

University of Chicago Press, 1930. 34, 47, 49,51,52,59. Print.

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