Criminal psychology studies mental phenomena and patterns manifested in the process of activities associated with crimes. These activities include the formation of a criminal attitude of the personality, the formation of a criminal motive, the personality of a criminal and a victim, and other means. However, it is the formation of a criminal stereotype of motivation and behavior that receives the most attention. Subsequently, theoretical understanding of criminal motivation and, ultimately, behavior lies in the existence of theories which try to explore and explain it. Theories of criminal behavior represent value in understanding and explaining individual factors and characteristics influencing the human intentions to commit crimes.
People become familiar with norms and values through socialization. It is widely known that norms and values in different societies and social groups vary considerably. Differential association theory is, essentially, based on the proposition that criminal behavior is a product of special deviant norms and values. This approach emphasizes the idea that individuals can be socialized by a group of people practicing deviant behavior, and considering it as the norm. Accordingly, the title of the theory reflects the hypothesis that people behave in a certain way under the influence of their environment.
Differentiated social influences determine the process of upbringing and maturation of a person. Maloku (2020) suggests that “the process of learning delinquent behavior involves all the mechanisms that are important for learning in general” (p. 171). For example, if a child grows up in a respectable society, then it will learn standards of socially acceptable behavior. On the contrary, if the child’s social environment is criminalized, then it will most likely adopt criminal motivations and behavior. Moreover, the antisocial behavior would be learned better when it is reinforced more strongly than socially approved behavior.
The value of the differential association theory is that it represents an attempt to explain deviant behavior on the basis of an analysis of the usual, human way of learning. In many of its aspects, this theory can be associated with the theory of social learning. However, in the differential association approach, the most important factor is the process of socialization.
Reference
Maloku, A. (2020). Theory of Differential Association. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 9(1), 170. Web.