Social Learning
Social Learning theory fits Charles situation. The main assumption of the theory is that criminal behavior is learned, repeated, and changed by the same process of conforming behavior. There are four main concepts to the theory: differential association, definitions (both from Sutherland’s Differential Association), differential reinforcement, and imitation. Differential association is when people interact with others, especially deviants, and their behaviors, values, and attitudes are learned. Definitions are both specific and general where a person attaches their attitudes and meanings to a behavior. This is where the deviant generally rationalizes their behavior. Differential reinforcement is the operant conditioning shaped …show more content…
Simons (2004) research suggests that family plays an important role and influences deviant behavior. The family’s interaction with one another creates norms and values within the family. Growing up in a single parent household, due to the incarceration of his father had an impact on his norms, values, and behaviors. By him attending a lower socio-economic high school, he was exposed to more deviant behavior, which ultimately lead him to become friends with people in gangs. Battin’s (1998) research on delinquent gangs indicate that becoming a part of a gang promotes and encourages higher levels of deviance and delinquent behaviors because gangs are violent. When the gang members insisted that Charles “prove that he is a man,” the violent act of him robbing an old lady would prove his participation in the gang and his manhood to his fellow gang …show more content…
The evidence was moderate and strong for social bonding as well. However, social learning had treatment programs and preventive programs for delinquents, in addition to empirical research. Including treatment programs like Highfields and Essexfield, along with prevention programs like gang resistance education training (GREAT) took the research to the next level. This leads me to the conclusion that social learning is the better theory of the two when describing Charles’ situation. His behaviors were learned due to his family and peer associations. There are still ways in which he can learn to reverse his deviance and conform though treatment programs. Social learning extends its research and applies it to real life situations. After all, the learning process is the same for conforming behavior and criminal behavior, according to social learning
Social Learning theory fits Charles situation. The main assumption of the theory is that criminal behavior is learned, repeated, and changed by the same process of conforming behavior. There are four main concepts to the theory: differential association, definitions (both from Sutherland’s Differential Association), differential reinforcement, and imitation. Differential association is when people interact with others, especially deviants, and their behaviors, values, and attitudes are learned. Definitions are both specific and general where a person attaches their attitudes and meanings to a behavior. This is where the deviant generally rationalizes their behavior. Differential reinforcement is the operant conditioning shaped …show more content…
Simons (2004) research suggests that family plays an important role and influences deviant behavior. The family’s interaction with one another creates norms and values within the family. Growing up in a single parent household, due to the incarceration of his father had an impact on his norms, values, and behaviors. By him attending a lower socio-economic high school, he was exposed to more deviant behavior, which ultimately lead him to become friends with people in gangs. Battin’s (1998) research on delinquent gangs indicate that becoming a part of a gang promotes and encourages higher levels of deviance and delinquent behaviors because gangs are violent. When the gang members insisted that Charles “prove that he is a man,” the violent act of him robbing an old lady would prove his participation in the gang and his manhood to his fellow gang …show more content…
The evidence was moderate and strong for social bonding as well. However, social learning had treatment programs and preventive programs for delinquents, in addition to empirical research. Including treatment programs like Highfields and Essexfield, along with prevention programs like gang resistance education training (GREAT) took the research to the next level. This leads me to the conclusion that social learning is the better theory of the two when describing Charles’ situation. His behaviors were learned due to his family and peer associations. There are still ways in which he can learn to reverse his deviance and conform though treatment programs. Social learning extends its research and applies it to real life situations. After all, the learning process is the same for conforming behavior and criminal behavior, according to social learning