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Routine activities theory example
Routine activity theory essay
Describe and explore Social Learning Theory as an explanation of delinquency
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In my compare and contrast essay I chose to do it on Routine Activities Theory and Social Learning Theory. I will start by briefly summarizing in my own words what each theory means. Routine activities theory founded by Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson and is a “recurrent and prevalent activities which provide for basic population of individual needs” pg 122. It is defined as a victimization theory that states that there are certain lifestyles that expose people to high risk for victimization and to me this means basically day to day activities and their effects on people. Routine activities theory looks at crime from the point s of view of both the offender and crime prevention. Within routine activities two things can come from it, either it provides for more crime to occur or it prevents crime from occurring. For example if there are two people who live completely different lives, one hangs on the street corner every day and one goes to school and they to work everyday. One is living a life that encourages victimization while the …show more content…
Social learning theory argues that individual behavior is shaped through the process of reinforcement and punishment. It argues crime is largely detrmined during childhood as a result to incompetent parenting, and tends to persist thereafter.. Differential reinforcement is defined as the balance of anticipated or actual rewards and punishments that follow or are consequences of behaviors. Social learning theory focuses on four principles: Differential association, differential reinforcement, imitation and definitions. The debt of differential association theory can be seen in these for principal said to affect the individual's probability of committing law violations. Law violations will happen when the following
Differential Association Theory The film “Blow” covers many different topics of differential association theories. The attitudes, the values, and the motives for criminal behavior as learned behavior. The film Blow, goes into the start of a young kid name George Jung, his parents want him to have values and live a wonderful life for himself. George is raised with father owning his own business, a stay home mother.
Differential association theory was founded by Edwin H. Sutherland (Lilly, 2012, p. 43). This theory states that “any person will inevitably come into contact with definitions favorable to violation of the law and with definitions unfavorable to violation of the law” (Lilly, 2012, p. 44). Whichever definition is more prominent in a person’s mind, will lead to their decision of “whether the person embraces crime as an acceptable way of life” (Lilly, 2012, p. 44). Sutherland composed nine propositions that explained the theory. He explained that “crime is learned through the process of differential association” (Lilly, 2012, p. 45). The nine propositions explained that “criminal behavior is learned” (Lilly, 2012, p. 45). He explained that by communicating with others, especially those that are close to them they are more likely to pick up behaviors from those people. Differential association theory also explains that learning criminal behaviors “involves all the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning” (Lilly, 2012, p. 45). While learning a criminal behavior one not only learns “the techniques of committing the crime” but also the “specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes” involved with crime (Lilly, 2012, p. 45). This is theory is shown throughout the book when the young Mr. Moore was influenced by the life of crime that was present in his
Social behavior responds to a complicated network of rewards and punishments. The more a behavior is rewarded, the more likely it is to continue. On the flip side of this, the more a behavior is met with negative consequences, the more it is likely to stop. In any given social situation, whether someone commits a crime is largely dependent on his past behavior, or whether someone has received a positive reinforcement to a that crime. According to Social Learning Theory, crime is a direct response to this reinforcement. So in other words, if rewards are greater than punishments, the crime will be committed. Social Learning Theory is meant to operate as a general theory of crime.
“Animal Kingdom” is a movie about the criminal story of a 17 years old boy call Josh. His mother was died due to heroin overdose, he had no choice but to live with his grandma and the three uncles. The story is about how Josh was influenced by this crime family and to step in an uncontrollable situation. In the movie “Animal Kingdom”, the main character Josh has committed in crime, for example he stole a car, provided false declaration, and shoot dead. The differential association theory and self-control theory will be used to explain Josh criminal behaviors. The differential association theory suggested that criminal behaviors is a process of learning through interaction and communication with others (Sutherland, 1947). The self-control theory
First and foremost, the theory states that criminal behavior is learned, meaning that the behaviors of an individual are influenced and shaped by those they associate with (Clinard & Meier, 2015). The primary reference point here is the nuclear family. Parents teach their children how to walk and talk, who grow up with siblings or in some cases, elderly relatives. With good reason, it is widely held that these interactions create the foundation of the individual’s conception of societal norms and values. That being said, if the individual is capable of assessing proper behavior in society, they are also capable of learning what is considered
Differential association theory best explains the burglary deviance. There are many principles associated with this type of learning theory. Edwin Sutherland’s theory discusses how crime is a learned behavior where one’s family, peers, and environment are of great influence. Differential association theory seeks to prove that criminal behavior is learned and this paper will evaluate the connection between the two.
Social learning theory was first developed by Robert L. Burgess and Ronald L Akers in 1966 (Social Learning theory, 2016). In 1973, Akers wrote a book entitled Deviant Behaviour: A Social Learning Approach, which discussed Aker’s conception of the social learning theory. He developed social learning theory by extending Sutherland’s theory of differential association (Cochran & Sellers, 2017). Social learning theory is based on the principles of Pavlov’s operant and classical conditioning. Akers believes that crime is like any other social behavior because it is learned through social interaction (Social Learning theory, 2016). Social learning theory states that the probability of an individual committing a crime or engaging in criminal behaviour is increased when they differentially associate with others who commit criminal behavior (Cochran & Sellers, 2017). Social learning theory is classified as a general theory of crime, and has been used to explain many types of criminal behaviour (Social Learning theory, 2016). Furthermore, social learning theory is one of the most tested contemporary theories of crime. There are four fundamental components of social learning theory; differential association, definitions, differential reinforcement and imitation (Social Learning theory,
Through Social Learning Theory, an individual can be studied based on the behavior acquired by a role model. Verbal conditioning procedures and observation influences the response to an individual’s personality. Environment factors contribute to the Social Learning Theory. Antisocial model is a major contribute to crime, which influences negative characteristics. The Social Leaning Theory has three core social concepts the must be followed: observational learning, intrinsic reinforcement and modeling process.
Based upon the evidence provided on the six elements of a good theory, the Routine Activities Theory is a sound theory. These elements provide that the theory is scientific. The theory has brought together its three elements to help determine why crime occurs. Through research by multiple detached researchers, its hypotheses have been confirmed through tests and empirical evidence.
High crime rates are an ongoing issue through the United States, however the motivation and the cause of crime has yet to be entirely identified. Ronald Akers would say that criminality is a behavior that is learned based on what an individual sees and observes others doing. When an individual commits a crime, he or she is acting on impulse based on actions that they have seen others engage in. Initially during childhood, individuals learn actions and behavior by watching and listening to others, and out of impulse they mimic the behavior that is observed. Theorist Ronald Akers extended Sutherland’s differential association theory with a modern viewpoint known as the social learning theory. The social learning theory states that individuals commit crime through their association with or exposure to others. According to Akers, people learn how to be offenders based on their observations around them and their association with peers. Theorist Akers states that for one, “people can become involved in crime through imitation—that is by modeling criminal conduct. Second, and most significant, Akers contended that definition and imitation are most instrumental in determining initial forays into crime” (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball 2011:57). Although Akers’ theory has been linked to juvenile delinquency in the past, it has also been tested as a possible cause of crime overall. Individuals learn from observation that criminal behavior is justifiable in certain circumstances. In connection with juvenile delinquency and crime, peers and intimate groups have the most effect on individuals when associated with criminal behavior. One is more likely to mimic the behavior of someone who they have close ties with, whether the behavior is justifiable or...
In 1966, Ronald Akers and Robert Burgess, took Edwin Sutherland's differential association theory of crime and reformed it. The reformation of this theory is known as Akers social learning theory in which criminal behavior follows both cognitive psychology and operant conditioning (Akers, Sellers, Jennings, 2004). We learn through operant conditioning with the help of rewards and punishments, while also watching others which incorporates cognitive psychology. Akers believed that criminal behavior can be learned in social and non social settings, learned through social interaction where the behavior is reinforced by others, lastly learned by observing others. Around the same time that Akers and Burgess modified differential association theory, psychologist Albert Bandura took social learning theory and added two important ideas.
Social Learning Theory is the progression that happens in the course of watching the punishment of others and by deciding if such activity is important enough to replicate (Wallace, n.d.) Fundamentally, this idea supports that individuals discover by examining others. In the 1930s, the Social discovering idea was evolved by Edwin Sutherland, Robert Burgess, Ronald L. Akers, and Daniel Glaser. This group of theorists evolved the discovering idea by distinguishing examples of criminalistic demeanor and the values that escorted these lawless persons, the way in which they dwelled and broadcast they called differential association (Schmalleger, 2012.) Albert Bandura is another theorist that has aided in the development of the idea. Bandura's work put the focus on reciprocal determinism, which focuses on how a person’s behavior, natural environment, and individual features all reciprocally leverage each other. ("Learning- Theories.com", 2012). Bandura evolved a form that involved the following steps. 1. Attention: In order for an individual to discover, they must be adept to pay vigil...
Social learning theory assumes that criminal behavior is similar to any human behavior. It can be learned through a socialization process, which occurs when interacting with other individuals or social institutions. The duration, frequency and content of this social interaction leads to shaping people’s attitudes and behaviors towards legal codes. Ronald Akers supports differential association as a significant part of his revised social learning theory that attempts to explain deviance. However, he incorporates additional elements, such as differential reinforcement, imitations, and definitions. In the movie, Training Day, the trainee Officer Jake Hoyt needs to do prove himself and impress Commanding Officer Alonzo Harris in order to obtain
The differential association theory is involved with the frequency and intensity of interaction. The longer that a person is exposed to a certain situation, the more involved and dedicated a person will become in criminal activity. This theory explains how individuals learn to become criminals, and doesn’t focus on why they become criminals in the end. Sutherland’s theory of differential association has 9 key points that he focused on: “Criminal behavior is learned.
The Theory of Routine Activities offers a direct and effective understanding into the sources of problems with crime. Its bases are the ideas that in the absenteeism of operative controls, criminals will target appealing opportunities. In order for a crime to be committed, a criminal must be at the same place as an alluring, potential victim; for crimes against property it is an entity; personal crimes, a person. If the victim or entity is not in the same vicinity as the criminal, the crime cannot be committed. Additionally, the presence of “watchdogs” (an operative control) can avert crime, however, if the watchdogs are not there, or are there but are helpless, the crime can and many times will occur.