Differencial Association Theiry Flashcards
Differential association theory
Learn offending behaviour through interaction with others, individuals, values, attitudes, techniques and motives
One -ve attitude toward crime, another +ve attitude toward crime
Edwin Sutherland- scientific basis
SLT of crime- association and imitation
Scientific principles explaining all types of offending
-Conditions said to cause crime should be present when crime is present
Discriminates between those who will become offenders and those who will not
Offending as a learned behaviour
Acquired same way other behaviour is learnt ; can mathematically predict who will commit crime if we know the frequency, intensity and duration of exposure to deviant norms
Learning attitudes - personal socialised in a group. Learns their values. May be anti or pro crime
Learning techniques- on how to commit crime
Socialisation in prison
Sutherland theory can explain why those in prison go on to reoffend
Learn more from experienced offenders
Observational learning and imitation or direct tuition
Strength- shift of focus
Changed focus from early biological (lombroso-atavistic form) to it being more about how the environment influences offenders
More realistic solution
Limitation - counterpoint
Stereotypes people from more poor, crime ridden backgrounds as inevitably being offenders
Ignored the fact people choose not to offend as not everyone exposed to pro crime does
Strength- wide reach
Accounts for offending within all sectors
Sutherland found some offences are clustered among affluent groups
White collar crimes- middle class
Shows it’s not only the lower class commit who commit crime
Limitation-Difficulty testing
Difficult to test differential associations predictions
Sutherland aimed to provide scientific, mathematical framework
However the concepts aren’t testable as they can’t be operationalised
Can’t say at which point the urge to offend is realised
No scientific credibility
