Differential Association Theory

Question 1

SLT of crime

Answer 1

learning criminal behaviour from associations and contacts

Question 2

Sutherland 1924

Answer 2

Sutherland (1924) = clear cause and effect links between the backgrounds of people who become criminals and those who do not → social experiences should clearly predict criminal behaviour

Question 3

crime as a learned behaviour
- learning off who
- and what other factor is important

Answer 3

• Learning occurs through interactions with significant others that the child associates with, such as family and peer group
  ● Differential association refers to the degree to which a person associates with these individuals

Question 4

Criminality arises from two factors:

Answer 4

• Learning attitudes towards crime
• Learning of specific criminal acts

Question 5

what does differential association theory suggest?

Answer 5

● Crime occurs if exposure to pro-crime values outweighs anti-crime values
● When a person is socialised into a group they will be exposed to specific values and attitudes
● predict how likely it is that an individual will commit a crime if they have been exposed to deviant and non-deviant norms and values

Question 6

learning criminal acts

Answer 6

• Learn particular techniques for committing crime e.g. how to break into someone else’s house through a locked window

Question 7

reoffending

Answer 7

• Reoffending may be due to socialisation in prison
  It is reasonable to assume that whilst inside prison inmates will be exposed to pro-criminal attitudes and learn specific techniques of offending from more experienced criminals which they can put into practice upon their release