Brauer's Social Learning Theory

From the Eighteenth century through the twenty-first century, philosophers have been trying to develop a criminological theory in order to explain why all individuals commit crime. In order to go further in depth about determining whether or not we have a solid theory to explain all crime, I will be reviewing author Jonathan R. Brauer’s article about Social Learning Theory and how it applies to theft and marijuana use. Along with that, I will make a criminological review of his research article and come up with an answer on whether or not his use of the theory is able to explain all crime. With the intention of creating a theory well enough to explain all crime, the theory must possess the five characteristics of a good theory. First, a theory …show more content…
By looking at younger kids answers to a survey, you are missing the crime that adults have committed. After reviewing Brauer’s article about Social Learning Theory, a few critiques can be made. For starters, in order for a theory to be a well-made and valid theory, it must possess the five characteristics of a respectable theory as I stated before. After reviewing the basic concepts of this theory, it is safe to say that the theory can have all five characteristics of a respectable theory. But, by using Brauer’s information from the National Youth Survey and the way he tested the theory does not pass the scope portion of the things to be asked. Brauer’s application of Social Learning Theory in criminal acts such as theft and marijuana use, does provide us with good information about how peer pressure and reinforcements can influence someone to commit crime. To add to this, by studying other theories from other people and philosophers, we to this day, do know that there is no theory yet to explain all crime for every …show more content…
Control theories take responsibility that people would unsurprisingly commit crimes if it was not for some off-putting factor. General Strain Theory is classified as a control theory because it looks at stresses and strains that individual has and believes that can cause crime. We all know that marijuana is a huge crime in the United States and that people use this drug in order to relieve stress and to forget the world. So, by looking at it that way, one might use marijuana while under stress because they feel overwhelmed and need to relieve that stress. As for the theft, that can also be committed due to strain because people may commit that act if they want to receive an adrenaline rush in order to release themselves from strain.
General Strain Theory and Social Learning Theory can be intertwined in order to have a relationship of interest in explaining why individuals commit crime. If an individual commits a crime due to being under stress, after relieving him or herself it is possible for that individual to learn that bad behavior and continue to commit that crime. Each theory is able to explain why an individual would commit theft or marijuana but they cannot explain why an individual would commit all