Criminal Behavior Learned

Improved Essays
Criminal behavior is learned. This means that criminal behaviour is not inherited . Individuals are not born with the skills and knowledge required for criminal activities. In the process of communication, when dealing with other people, criminal behavior will be learned. Communication can be verbal or non-verbal through gestures or even through simple observations (Dr Isaacson, 2017).
The main part of criminal behavior learning occurs in close personal groups. This means that individuals are more likely to learn criminal behavior from people they trust (Dr Isaacson, 2017). For example, a young police officer may first learn how to abuse his powers through other officials who think they can accept free meals, discount goods, or enter free

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    The criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons with communication and the main part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within personal groups. When criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes (1) the techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very simple, and (2) the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes. Differential association theory is one of the social learning theories that attempt to explain deviance and crime. (Sutherland & Cressey, 137)…

    • 1958 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    This book talks about different types of criminal behavior. It is divided in 10 chapters and each chapter discusses different aspects of the criminal behavior system. The book shows the readers how crimes are classified into different categories, and how the legal system deals with different types of crimes. It clearly demonstrates what kinds of behaviors can be classified as criminal behaviors (both violent and non-violent criminal behaviors).…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Outward environmental sociological factors and inward hereditary psychological factors have many similarities and differences. The environment and social circles influence criminal behavior as it creates opportunities for such behavior to be learned. There are two theories that can help elaborate on the fusion of environmental and sociological factors causing criminal behavior. Differential association theory is the belief that criminal behavior is learned through communication with others (Schram, 2017). During this process, values, attitudes and norms are internalized and maintain within a group.…

    • 561 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Sandy Case Study

    • 2034 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Sandy’s Background Sandy is currently 17 years of age, which is around the average peak offending age for males within Scotland. Sandy has resided his whole life on the notoriously deprived council estate: Ferguslie Park, Paisley. This small area boarding Glasgow has been identified by The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (2016) as being the area with the greatest level of deprivation within Scotland, exceeding with soaring unemployment levels, low incomes, low levels of skills, education and health, which may be accountable factor within Sandy’s current behaviour. Present Circumstances/ Risk and Protection Factors In order to understand fully, why an individual may commit crime, we must understand their history of individual learning…

    • 2034 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On the other hand I had another friend from high school who would be the opposite of this theory. He was sent away to a detention center for narcotics and ended up escaping the detention facility and robbing a liquor store at gun point. His family had never been in trouble with the law though. In fact his older brother (by two years) had never had a run in with the law and was practically an angel. Therefore, it poses the question if there really is a predisposition biologically to crime and if so what those certain qualities are.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For example, if a child who had a good upbringing lives in a crime ridden area, then more than likely they will participate in criminal activity regardless of their upbringing. (Personalityresearch.org, 2015). This is because children will look up to their social peer groups rather than their own parents. (Harris, 1998).…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    His intention with this theory was to “determine, at an individual level, those who became lawbreakers, and those who do not regardless of their race, class, and ethnic background” (University of Minnesota Duluth). In Sutherland’s theory, social interactions are of the upmost importance. Differential Association can be broken into three different areas. First, criminal behavior is learned through interactions with other people. Essentially, individuals learn criminal behaviors through communication with individuals who have already engaged in criminal activity.…

    • 1606 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ven though Bandura had already created the social learning theory, Edwin Sutherland’s differential association is the core learning theory when understanding social learning theory. Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory states that criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication that takes place primarily in intimate personal groups that include crime motives, rationalizations, and attitudes (d.umn). Differential association may also vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity as a person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law (d.umn). Sutherland’s differential association describes…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Biological Genetics and Criminal Behavior Over the of course of the years, different criminologists and scientists have tried to understand the reasons and origins of crime and deviant behavior. What makes a person commit the most atrocious and heinous crimes? This is a question many people try to understand. Many factors affect the actions of these criminals, from biological factors to psychological issues. The big debate among these studies is whether such criminal behaviors are inherited or acquired.…

    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Theory One Social learning theory explains that humans are born with a “blank slate” and delinquency and crime is learned. This theory says that criminal behavior is learned by observing other individuals’…

    • 2208 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Many people have studied nature v. nurture over the years, both in the world of criminology and outside of it. Criminology is the study on psychology, economics, biology, statistics, and other factors to explain criminal behavior. Why are we the way we are? What makes you an extrovert or an introvert? Intelligent or unintelligent?…

    • 1340 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The social learning theory states “Criminal behavior is learned through human interaction” (Siegel, 2010, p.…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The degree of influence one receives from messages favoring deviant behavior varies by intensity, priority, frequency, and duration proposing that through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior” (enotes 2015). This theory focuses on how individuals learn to become criminals, but it does not concern itself with why they become criminals. The theory predicts that “an individual will choose the criminal path when the balance of definitions for law-breaking exceeds those for law-abiding. This will be reinforced if social association provides active people in the person 's life. The earlier in life an individual comes under the influence high status people within a group, the more likely the individual is to follow in their footsteps.…

    • 1721 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The original criminologist to first research this was Sutherland, who stated, “the process by which persons experience these conflicting definitions about appropriate behavior. Thus, definitions favorable and unfavorable to delinquent or criminal behavior are learned through interaction in intimate personal groups” (Matsueda, 1982, p. 489). Delinquent criminal behavior is stemmed from the idea that interaction with others delinquent individuals and the said frequency duration, along with environment heavily contributes to an individual being delinquent. This theory was the start, the ground work for Akers to take and build upon to make a whole new theory. Learning theory uses new factors based upon old research to explain…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Theories are the best way to explain criminology and help improve the criminal justice system by finding facts and reasons behind every aspects of a crime starting from the motive and ending with correction and recidivism sometimes. The Social Learning theory in criminology is one of the first and most famous theories of crime. The Social Learning Theory theory basically means that crime is learned and people learn to engage in criminal behavior. (1. Social Learning and Personality Development) “A person becomes delinquent because of an excel of definitions favorable to the violation of the law over definitions unfavorable to the violation of the law.”…

    • 1562 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays