Criminal Behavior: Sutherland's Differential Association Theory

Sutherland’s differential association is a theory that stats through interactions with others, individual can learn values, attitudes, techniques and motives of criminal behavior. For example, if an individual were to socialize with a friend group notorious for committing crimes and devious acts, that said individual, over time, would learn and understand the techniques, values etc. of committing those crimes. According to the excerpt from “Stick-up, Street Culture and Offender Motivation” (Jacobs and Wright, 1999), one man said that “Some people want to be like other people… they want to dress like this person.” When people want to be like other people or they look up to role models, they begin acting like they do and taking on the actions …show more content…
Cohen means that crime is primarily determined through behaviors experienced daily accompanied by circumstances that our daily routines take us through. The theory or perspective is made up of three main points or circumstances in order for crime to occur which are a likely offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. In the excerpt (Jacobs and Wright, 1999), the offenders experienced all of these circumstances which led to commit the acts of robberies. They were likely offenders when they first need money in a quick manner. They witnessed crime happening around them and now it was there turn to take part for the benefit of quick cash. If they needed a suitable target then they would go out looking or they would already know which place they would rob next. As for an absence of a capable guardian, the offenders themselves are not capable guardians otherwise they wouldn’t be committing robbery. Without a capable guardian for them they have no means to support themselves or their family if they have one. On the basics of the routine perspectives theory, the offenders in the excerpt encountered daily events that could have shaped there need for robbery. For example, one offender spoke about how if he had a good paying job that he wouldn’t have to keep committing robberies, that he would stop and work his full-time job. But going another day jobless is just another day counting down until the moment when he needed to do something fast in order to support himself and his family. Regardless of the crime there is always a background behind any criminal act that someone makes. Each act results from an opportunity arising or an individual seeking out an opportunity for themselves. With every opportunity taken, a motive is present in every individual, whether it be for survival, or aspiring financial gain. With no guardian present or any other individual to advise the offender, the