Socialization and Crime

Socialization and Crime
The social process approach – an individual’s socialization-determines the likelihood of criminality. There are three main social theories that explain this. The first is the social learning theory. The social learning theory says that crime is “a product of learning the norms, values, and behaviors associated with criminal activity” (Siegel, p. 236). The second is the social control theory. The social control theory says that “all people have the potential to violate the law and that modern society presents many opportunities for illegal activity” (Siegel, p. 245). The third and final theory is the social reaction theory. This theory states that “criminal careers form based on destructive social interactions and encounters” (Siegel, p. 249).
The social learning theory involves everything from the techniques of the crime, to the psychological aspects of the crime. There are three main forms of the social learning theory. They are the differential association theory, the differential reinforcement theory, and the neutralization theory. The differential association theory is the idea of Edwin H. Sutherland. There are many principles of the differential association theory. The first is that criminal behavior is learned, just like any other behavior. Sutherland also said that learning is a by-product of interaction. He thought that family, friends, and peers are the greatest influence on behavior.
The second aspect of the social learning theory is the differential reinforcement theory. This idea belonged to Ronald Akers and Robert Burgess. They first introduced it in 1966. They thought that behaviors were reinforced by things like rewards or punishments. In a survey done by the pair, they found that those who believed they would be rewarded for criminal behavior were more likely to engage in it. The third and final aspect of   the social learning theory is the neutralization theory. David Matza and his associate Gresham Sykes identified...