Turning to Crime - Upbringing - Sutherland

Sutherland

Differential Association Hyopthesis (DAH)

Intro:

Peers, parents and other influential people behaviour can influence our behaviour. Sutherland called it the DAH. Suggests interaction with other people can influence our behaviour in different ways, therefore this theory suggest criminal behaviour is learnt by interacting with others, and it's most likely to be people were closest to.

Definitions of behaviour are learnt, so criminal behaviour is also learnt. Pro-Criminal ("The police are against me") and Anti-Criminal definitions ("I don't want to go to prison if I commit a crime")

When pro-crim definitions outweigh anti-crim this is when someoen turns to crime. Not only do they learn attitudes & values they learn techniques of crim behaviour. e.g. if someone is in regular contact with other deviants they won't only learn attitudes to crime but techniques such as stealing a car.

This theory explains reasons why an individuals released from prison re-offends as they've been in regular conntact with other criminals and they've learnt new ways to commit a criminal act.