Sutherland Differential Association Theory Paper

The attacks on San Bernardino, California will be the basis for how this theory can be used in modern day civilization. Criminology uses a plethora of different theories to explain if criminals are congenital or if they are made into a criminal. Crimes can occur due to numerous amounts of reasons, but the Sutherland Differential Association Theory will be best fitted to explain why the attack occurred. On December 2, 2015 San Bernardino, California suffered from a major terrorist attack. An estimated 14 people were killed and 22 were critically wounded during the shooting and attempted bombing (FBI report, 2015). According to the director of the FBI,” These attacks were domestically made (FBI report, 2015).” This means the terrorist were changed by his or her environment over time to have hatred due to certain actions that were displayed to them. This was one of the most deadly …show more content…
The University of Michigan conducted a census to see how many people in the United States were living below the standard means of living, or poverty (National Poverty Center, 2010). This number was astonishing, it was determined that over 15.1 percent of the American population was believed to be living in poverty in 2010 (National Poverty Center, 2010). The Sutherland Differential Association Theory says that criminals are basically created over time, and poverty plays a large role in explaining why these people are led to do such things. Most human beings feel as if they have a purpose on this earth, and providing for their families is normally one of these commitments. The number of crimes committed when the person is living in poverty is almost doubled in comparison to a person living above average wages (Bureau of Justice Statistics). This number is the same for all races, poverty and crime does not discriminate. Poverty truly shows that individuals can be made into criminals due to harsh living