![]() ![]() One critique leveled against differential association stems from the idea that people can be independent, rational actors and individually motivated. Since crime is understood to be learned behavior, the theory is also applicable to white-collar, corporate, and organized crime. One very unique aspect of this theory is that it works to explain more than just juvenile delinquency and crime committed by lower class individuals. Sutherland maintains that there is no unique learning process associated with acquiring non-normative ways of behaving. The process of learning criminal behavior is really not any different from the process involved in learning any other type of behavior. The amount of time that a person is exposed to a particular definition and at what point the interaction began are both crucial for explaining criminal activity. While criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those needs and values, since non-criminal behavior is an expression of the same needs and values.Īn important quality of differential association theory is the frequency and intensity of interaction.The process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal and anti-criminal patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning.Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity.A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of the law. ![]() The specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable.When criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes techniques of committing the crime (which are sometimes very complicated, sometimes simple) and the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes.The principal part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups. ![]()
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