Social Process Theories of Crime

1. Social Process Theories of Crime Lecture 7

2. Looking Ahead… • Historical background • General assumptions • Social Learning theories • Sutherland’s Differential Association • Akers’ Differential Reinforcement • Sykes’ and Matza’s Drift theory • Social Control theories • Reckless’ Containment Theory • Hirchi’s Social Bond Theory

3. Historical Background • These theories reached their zenith in the 1960’s • Self-report studies were revealing that crime was not limited to lower class • It became necessary to develop a theory that could account for middle class crime as well.

4. General Assumptions • Begin with the assumption that anyone is capable of committing a crime. • Argue that delinquency can be explained by the socialization experiences of individuals • Hence, they tend to focus on the immediate social milieu of the individual--e.g., family, peer group, etc. • As such they focus on the processof becoming delinquent

5. Types of Social Process Theories • Two broad types of process theories: • Social Learning Theories • Social Control Theories

6. Social Learning Theories: General Assumptions • General Features • Children are not born with a tendency to want to do bad • Delinquency is a function of learning the norms, values and behaviors associated with delinquency • Without opportunities to learn the values and techniques associated with delinquency, individuals would not become delinquent

7. Differential Association Theory • Developed by Edwin Sutherland • The theory: • Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons • Principle part of learning takes place in intimate personal groups • Learning includes: techniques of committing the crime and the drives, values and motives • Direction of drives and motives determined by relative “definitions” (influences) favorable or unfavorable to law violation • One becomes delinquent because of excess definitions favorable to violating the law • Differential associations vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity. • Process of learning delinquency involves same process as any other learning Edwin Sutherland

8. Differential Reinforcement Theory • Developed by Ron Akers • Represents a synthesis between differential association and operant conditioning • The theory: • Behavior is reinforced with positive rewards • Rewards are given and evaluated in interaction with significant others • Hence, the kinds of behavior that are reinforced depend on one’s differential associations Ron Akers

9. Drift and Neutralization Theory • Developed by Gresham Sykes and David Matza • The Drift Hypothesis • Delinquents do not strictly adhere to delinquent cultural values, but are affected by both criminal and conventional values • Hence, delinquents find themselves in “drift” between the two sets of values • Subculture of delinquency provides the delinquent with a vocabulary to neutralize the demands of conventional society • Techniques of Neutralization • Denial of responsibility • Denial of injury • Denial of victim • Condemnation of condemner • Appeal to higher loyalties Gresham Sykes David Matza

10. Social Control Theory:General Assumptions • Human beings are predisposed toward maximizing self-interest • Hence, everyone has the capacity to commit crime • Most people don’t commit crime because of constraining influences • Hence, what is to be explained is not “Why do some people engage in delinquency?” but “Why do most people not engage in delinquency?”

11. Containment Theory • Developed by Walter Reckless • The Theory • “Pressures” and “pulls” toward delinquency are everywhere • Counteracting these pressures and pulls are “containments” of which there are two types: • outer containments--structural buffers, such as intact family, positive discipline, etc. • inner containments--internalized values, high frustration tolerance, etc. • Positive self concept as the critical containment insulating against delinquency. Walter Reckless

12. Social Bond Theory • Developed by Travis Hirschi • The Theory: • Assumes that all people have the capacity to be delinquent • Preventing most people from engaging in delinquency is a “bonding” to conventional society • Hirschi identifies 4 elements to the social bond (next slide) Travis Hirschi

13. The Social Bond