The Pros And Cons Of Differential Association Theory

Everyone is a criminal. Everyone has broken the law once or twice. Everyone is prone to commit a crime in his or her life. Hence, various factors contribute to this act of committing a crime. Rather it’s from sociological, free-will, biological, and/or environmental factors, these factors greatly influences us to either commit a crime or desist from breaking the law. Nonetheless, numerous theories can be defined towards defining what causes crime, but out of all, differential association theory seems to fit the criteria of answering such question. Likewise, a theory that is applicable towards explaining peer influences among deviant youths or the trigger of becoming a criminal. Rather this theory can identify the roots of criminality of an …show more content…
Hence, individuals are prone to commit deviant acts due to influential primary groups and intimate social contacts. Similarly, Sutherland compiled nine propositions of the differential association theory, thus, the sixth proposition is of utter importance, as quoted, “a person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of the law.” This denotes the similarity between the individual and its social group that one respects and values. The favorability to law violation—frequency, duration, priority, and intensity—exposed to that individual is keen to promote criminality. Considering, criminality is based upon an individual’s favorability of conforming to one’s …show more content…
Reasons being, out of the nine propositions as mentioned, the first proposition, “Criminal behavior is learned,” caught my attention. In other words, this theory proclaims what I see in criminals as any individual’s strive towards criminality. For example, the sociological and environmental factor of an individual who lives in a poor neighborhood with unsupportive peers is more prone to learn the aspect of committing a crime. That individual will strive towards the influential bunch that is favorable to him or her rather than one’s own peers because those “friends” are considered more of a “family” to the individual. Above all, the learnability of criminality through gangs. The learned behaviors through gangs are more in favor of the individual because of the respects and values pertained in the gang. Rather than outside of the gang prospect of an unsupportive society, peers, and environment for the individual, the individual strives towards the supportive side of