Differential Association Theory

Question 1

What is differential association theory (DAT)?

Answer 1

-an explanation for offending that through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behaviour.
-suggests offending behaviour may be acquired in the same way was any other behaviour, through the process of learning.

Question 2

How does criminality arise?

Answer 2

-from two factors
1. Learned attitudes towards crime
2. The learning of specific criminal acts.

-when a person is socialised into a group, they will be exposed to values and attitudes towards the law.

Question 3

Sutherland (1924)

Answer 3

-‘The conditions which are said to cause crime should be present when crime is present and they should be absent when crime is absent’

• Sutherland argues that if the number of pro-criminal attitudes the person has outweighs the number of anti-criminal attitudes they would go on to offend.

Question 4

Learning of Specific criminal acts

Answer 4

A would be offender would need to learn techniques for committing crime. These might include how to break into someone’s house through a locked window or how to disable a car stereo before stealing it.

Question 5

What does DAT suggest?

Answer 5

This theory suggests that if should be possible to mathematically predict how likely it is that an individual will commit crime, if we have knowledge of the frequency, intensity and duration of which they have been exposed to deviant and non-deviant norms and values.

Question 6

Pro-criminal attitudes

Answer 6

-could be direct
-‘this store is insured’
-‘this is public land’

Question 7

Anti-criminal attitudes

Answer 7

-stealing is immoral
-violating law always wrong