Sociology 2267A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Juvenile Delinquency, Social Learning Theory, Labeling Theory
31 Aug 2020
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SOC 2267 650
Week 2: Lesson 3 - Traditional Delinquency Theories
Strain Theory
• Are individuals pushed into delinquency because of their life circumstances?
• According to strain theory, when juveniles experience strain or stress, they become
upset, and they sometimes engage in delinquency as a result
• There are several versions of strain theory
• Merton's original strain theory was based on the following:
◦ When individuals fail to achieve culturally acceptable goals through culturally
acceptable means, they experience strain
◦ The attempt to adapt to this strain in multiple different ways
Why Are Some Juveniles More Likely to Cope with Stain Through Delinquency?
• Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency when it involves areas if life that the
individual considers important
• Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency among individuals with poor coping skills and
resources
• Strain is more likely to lead to delinquency among individuals with few conventional
social supports
Social Learning Theory: Do Individuals Learn to be Delinquent from Others?
• Juveniles can learn to engage in delinquency behaviour in the same way they learn to
engage in conforming behaviour
• Depends on primarily on the nature of the people they associate with
• Much of social learning theory involves a description of the mechanisms by which
juveniles learn to engage in delinquency from others
• Juveniles learn to engage in delinquency when others:
◦ Differentially reinforce their delinquent behaviour
◦ Teach them beliefs favourable to delinquency
◦ Provide delinquent models for them to imitate
Differential Association
• Differential association --> a process of social learning, in which criminals and law-
abiding people learn their behaviours from association with others
• Choices based on the lessons they take from exposure to certain kinds of life
experiences
• Those with strong attachments to delinquents are more likely to become delinquents,
and people who grow up in criminal milieus will adopt deviant values that can result in
delinquency and crime
• Frequency of association is central to the development of deviance and the adoption of
alternative beliefs
Main Features of American Subcultural Theories
Document Summary
Juveniles learn to engage in delinquency when others: differentially reinforce their delinquent behaviour, teach them beliefs favourable to delinquency, provide delinquent models for them to imitate. Soc 2267 650: collective experiences of disadvantages are what explain initial involvement in delinquency, more specifically, status frustrations are experienced by working class youth, they overtly respond to this frustration through rebellion against the middle class norms. Main features of uk subcultural theories: began in the late 1960s, leisure time, culture of consumption, political interpretations, "style into revolt" into positive identity formation, symbolic behaviour. Soc 2267 650: cohen and felson"s rat is based on three elements, motivated offender, attractive/suitable targets, absence of capable guardianship. Labelling theory: does the reaction to delinquency lead to further delinquency: labelling theory focuses on the reaction to delinquency, both of the official reaction by the justice system and the informal reaction by parents, peers, teachers, and others.
