The Implications of Labelling Theory and how It Affects Individuals

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The main focus of the essay will be the implications of labelling theory and how it affects individuals. It also will be focusing on the creation of particular categories of criminals when labelling theory is applied, in addition it will outline what labelling theory is, how it affects people and how it effects the creation of criminal categories. The purpose of this essay is to allow a better understanding of labelling theory and its implication on creating criminal categories.
Labelling theory outlines the sociological approach towards labelling within societies and in the development of crime and deviance (Gunnar Bernburg, and D. Krohn et al., 2014, pp. 69-71). The theory purposes that, when an individual is given a negative label (that is deviant), then the individual pursues their new (deviant) label / identity and acts in a manner that is expected from him/her with his/ her new label (Asencio and Burke, 2011, pp. 163-182).
Labelling theory was acknowledged and more commonly known during 1960’s yet towards the 1980’s it was seen as less supportive and was being critiqued by other scholars and theorists. One of the reasons to why labelling theory was becoming less supported and critiqued more frequently was due to lack of research being conducted in the field, however in recent years there has been an increased interest in labelling theory and its perspectives (Lopes and Krohn et al., 2012, pp. 457-458).
Labelling theory can be broken down in to two different forms, these are - formal and informal labelling, they are both very similar and both have a sociological approach (Adams and Robertson et al., 2003, p. 171). In relation to this labelling theory has three main consequences when applied regardless of if it is formal or ...

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...elinquency, 51 (1), pp. 69-71.
Hayes, T. A. 2010. Labelling and the Adoption of a Deviant Status. Deviant Behaviour, 31 (3), pp. 282-297.
Lopes, G., Krohn, M. D., Lizotte, A. J., Schmidt, N. M., V'Asquez, B. E. and Bernburg, J. G. 2012. Labelling and cumulative disadvantage the impact of formal police intervention on life chances and crime during emerging adulthood. Crime & Delinquency, 58 (3), pp. 457 - 478
Paternoster, R. and Iovanni, L. 1996. The Labelling Perspective and Delinquency: An Elaboration of the Theory and Assessment of the Evidence. In: Cordella, P. and Siege, L. eds. 1996. Readings in Contemporary Criminological Theory. Pennsylvania: The Maple Press Company, p. 180.
The Multilevel Research Design. 2002. In: Gillespie, W. eds. 2002. Prisonization: Individual and Institutional Factors Affecting Inmate Conduct. Texas: LFB Scholarly Publishing, pp. 67-68.

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