Limitations Of Neutralization Theory

Neutralization theory sustained power and influence over the development of criminology and is still applicable today. Sykes and Matza’s work was an extension and refinement of Sutherland’s differential association theory because it emphasized how criminals are no more fully committed to antisocial attitudes than they are to prosocial attitudes and it demonstrated how criminals handle their feelings of guilt and shame. Their theory has some strengths such as it being one of the earliest socio-cognitive narrative accounts of deviant behavior, offering a new perspective to explain deviance and crime. In addition, the utilization of the techniques of neutralization is not exclusive since it can be used to explain both serious criminal offenses …show more content…
This is because “empirical assessments of the theory typically use cross-sectional survey designs to test the core assumptions of the theory by locating a sample of known offenders and a control group sample of “innocents,” then asking respondents in both groups to agree or disagree with a list of neutralizations (often in relation to hypothesized scenarios)” (Copes & Maruna, 2010, p. 923). The first critique is the immediate need for additional knowledge regarding the contrasting distribution of the techniques of neutralization based on individual characteristics (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status) as well as environmental factors. This is because the use of neutralization techniques vary based on contrasting individual factors, some individuals do not use it to justify their actions. The second critique is the need for a better comprehension of the internal foundation and workings of the techniques of neutralization and its correlation to different forms of criminal behavior (Cullen, Agnew, Wilcox, 2014, p. 228). This is because depending on the type of offense, techniques of neutralization may be utilized. More focus should be given to the origins of an individual that may contribute to their use of techniques of neutralization, which could help explain why some individuals do not use these justifications …show more content…
As described by control theory, if offenders are not committed, neutralization is unnecessary. Proposed by Travis Hirschi, research on neutralization techniques also faces a causality problem, particularly in determining when the neutralizations occur—before or after the criminal act similar to the chicken or the egg debate (p. 147). This is because the majority of research done on neutralization theory has utilized cross-sectional designs, which are unable to disentangle the sequential relationship of neutralizations and deviance compared to the advantages of a longitudinal design where one can see a longer period of