Explain the major tenets of differential association theory. When is crime most likely to occur? What is learned as part of the criminal learning process? Be sure to reference Sutherland’s nine statements of differential association.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers should address Sutherland’s nine statements of differential association
theory. (1) Criminal behavior is learned. (2) Criminal behavior is learned in interaction
with other persons in the process of communication. (3) The principal part of the
learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups (i.e., “associations”
with people). (4) When criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes both
techniques of committing the crime, which can be simple or complex, and specific
directions or motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes. (5) The specific direction of
motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or
unfavorable. (6) A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions
favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of the law. (7)
Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity. (8) The
process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal and anti-criminal
patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involve in any other learning. (9)
Although criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values, it is not
explained by those general needs and values because noncriminal behavior is an
expression of the same needs and values.