Differential Association Theory Essay - 1739 Words

Over recent years, school bullying has become an important issue and underlying factor for more serious circumstances like school shootings, suicides, and countless student dropouts. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 160,000 kids per day do not attend school for fear of being bullied (A, 2013). With such a high number afraid to attend school, it’s not hard to see how this behavior drastically affects their quality of education and overall school experiences. Bullying can also produce physical responses such as headaches, stomach pains, anxiety, and possible depression, which in turn can affect the student’s self-esteem and sense of belonging. An issue causing such extreme emotional and physical pain is often addressed by schools†¦show more content†¦The American SPCC (American Society for the Positive Care of Children) provides relative risk factors for students more prone to bullying including, those perceived different from their peers, such as bei ng overweight or underweight, wearing glasses or different clothing, being new to a school, or being unable to afford what kids consider â€Å"cool†, those seen as weak or unable to defend themselves, with low self-esteem, and less popular with few friends. SPCC also provides the other end of the spectrum on characteristics of those who bully others including, those prone to aggression, with less parental involvement and supervision, have friends or peers who bully others, and view violence as positive and powerful (A, 2013.) The criteria for those who are the target of bullying and those who perpetrate the bullying are considerably opposite. Small and shy students are most often picked on by larger more popular students whose behavior is encouraged and reinforced by peers. Given these norms, DAT will help better describe the connection between behavior and the act of bullying. Sutherland proposed a list of principles for DAT that are discussed in Nancy Herman’s book â€Å"Deviance: A Symbolic Interactionist Approach† and provide an explanation of why individuals engage in criminal behavior (Herman). First, criminal behavior is notShow MoreRelatedDifferential Association Theory Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will discuss three theories, the differential association theory, the labelling theory and the rationale choice theory. The theories will discussed and how they can explain crime will also be discussed, and then a comparison of the theories will be given in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses in explaining youth crime. Theories within criminology try to explain why and how crime occurs. This is done through examining various facts that are related to the individual s criminalRead MoreDifferential Association Theory Essay1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe Differential Association Theory, established by Edwin Sutherland in 1947, explicit the deviance of an individuals behavior and how it is learned through interaction with others or associations. There are several components that play a role in this theory that determines the main causes of delinquency. One of the components of this theory is, a person do not inherently become a criminal, it is a learned behavior. A person cannot decide one day he wants to commit a crime if he is not influenceRead MoreThe Tattoo By Chris Mckinney Essay1704 Words   |  7 Pagesbeing exposed to poverty, colonialism, violence, urban gangs, and drugs. In this essay, I will argue that one can learn criminal and violent behaviour by those who they hold close interpersonal relationships with, for example, family and friends. In saying that, I will be using the social learning theory looking in particular at Edwin Sutherland and his notion of differential association and Akers concept of differential reinforcement to explore the relationship between Ken Hideyoshi and Ko a Puana.Read MoreBad Monkey And The Social Phenomenon Of Crime783 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Science theories in criminology builds frameworks of empirical evidence which are used to study and interpret the social phenomenon of crime (Callinicos, 1999). Of the many theories developed over the course of the study of the science of criminology, Robert Agnew’s General Strain and Edwin H. Sutherland’s Differential Association theories stood out the most while I indulged in Carl Hiaasen novel Bad Monkey. In this essay I will be using Carl Hiaasen novel Bad Monkey to draw out examples ofRead MoreIp3 Crime Causation1535 Words   |  7 PagesOnline Abstract This essay will focus on sociological theories of crime and their description, the strengths and weaknesses of each; sociological control theory, strain theory, differential association theory and neutralization theory. This essay will also focus on Rajartnam who was convicted for inside trading in 2011. Introduction A different approach to criminological theory was taken in the 1960’s although; it was a derivative of older theories. The labeling theory wanted to know questionsRead MoreThe Theory Of Crime And Deviance1248 Words   |  5 Pagesbroad and wide topic, this essay will stay microscopic and study the comprehension of Edwin Sutherlands â€Å"Differential Association theory† and Gresham Sykes and David Matza’s â€Å"Techniques of Neutralization†. Various sources and scholarly written articles alongside Barry Cartwright’s text-reader â€Å"Sociological Approach to Crime and Deviance† will be used to support the key responses to specified questions on the main topic. Edwin Sutherland’s â€Å"Differential Association theory† is a historical landmarkRead MoreRobert Merton s Strain Theory1299 Words   |  6 PagesI have selected Robert Merton’s Strain theory and Edwin Sutherlands Differential Association theory and their approach to the study of crime for my essay. Robert Merton developed the theory that people engage in deviant behaviour when they can’t achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means. Deviance is a result of the strain an individual feels when they cannot achieve legitimately. Merton uses â€Å"The American Dream† to illustrate strain theory. Merton’s explanation is in two pieces; StructuralRead MoreThe Major Theories Of Criminal Behavior And The Impact Of Crime On Victims And Society1580 Words   |  7 PagesEvaluating the Major Theories of Cause of Criminal Behaviour and the Impact of Crime on Victims and Society London Foundation campus 1. Introduction Akers Sellers (2013) noted that there are various common theories that are pertinent to the study of crime as the extents of crime explanations range from the genetic/biological through to the economic and social perspective. Howitt (2012) divided these theories into four categories: macro-level or societal theories; locality or communityRead MoreAmerican History X Is An American Crime Movie Directed By Tony Kaye And Produced By John Morrissey1579 Words   |  7 PagesVineyard, Edward Furlong as Danny Vineyard, Stacy Each as Cameron Alexander, and Avery Brooks as Dr. Bob Sweeney. This essay will focus on the deviant behavior committed by some of the people in this movie. Further, it will discuss different theories as to why they committed the crimes. The three aspects that will be discussed are Differential Association Theory, Reaction Formation Theory, and which one serves as a better explanation. The main plot of the movie is focused on Derek Vineyard and hisRead MoreEssay about Sociological Analysis of Sexual Assault1554 Words   |  7 PagesSociological Analysis of Sexual Assault This essay will examine the social and cultural conditions, within the macro-diachronic and micro-synchronic theoretical models , that intensify or perpetuate sexual assault. I have chosen only one concept from each model because these are the only concepts that I feel that I can use to most accurately and comprehensively depict causes and reasons for why sexual assault is deeply entrenched in our social structure. I will thus explore, from these ideological