Labeling Theory

Chapter seven and eight discusses the effects of labeling criminals, and factors that leads to deviant behaviors. To begin, we look at the early days of crime, and how people were cast out as criminals. These individuals were subjected to harsh punishment, and throwing into dungeons. However, as time went on, criminologist begin to study crime. What is crime, why does it occur, and how can it cease? For years, various criminologist concluded ways in which he or she believed was the source of the problem. In fact, theorists like Albert Reiss and E. Ivan Niye, “tended to suggest that crime and delinquency could be expected in conditions where controls were not effective”. For example, disorganized cultures that have little social control, crime

Labeling theorist believed that criminal labels had an even greater impact on people lives. In fact, labels lead to assumptions, which makes it more difficult for offenders to live successful lives. For example, how can someone obtain a job, labeled as a thief. Most employers overlook individuals with criminal labels, and hand the job off to other opportunists. However, one of the problems that labeling theory have with labeling offenders, is the chance of someone being falsely accused or discriminated upon. As a matter of fact, social class and race plays a significant role in society. This alone make it harder for individuals of lower social groups to deal with law enforcement. For example, a cop pulling of a drunk well known lawyer v pulling over a lower class black male. In this case you could assume that the lawyer would be cleared and freed to go, and the black lower class male would be hassled into confessing a crime or agreeing to an illegal search. However, in many cases people of certain classes are singled out. As seen from the text with the “Rough necks” and the “Saints”, who were both groups of boys of different social classes. However, the “Saints” behaviors were justified, but the “Rough Necks” behaviors were seen as