Taking A Look At Sutherland's Differential Association

In order to create and enforce the proper laws and regulations, policy makers have to consider the causes of various problems. A thorough understand of criminological theories is critical to developing remedies for crime, including why youth join gangs. Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory provides an explanation for why individuals engage in crime, stating that criminal behaviour is a learning process. It is the result of the environment that individuals are surrounded by, as well as who individuals interact with. Sutherland’s Differential Association is able to explain why a youth’s environment: a disorganized family and the presence of gangs in the neighbourhood, and social factors: peer relations and institutional bonds affect youth

The first three points propose that, not only is criminal behaviour learned, but that it is done so through interactions with others and often in intimate groups. The next three points discuss the criminal behaviour and the idea that an individual will become delinquent if they value more definitions that are favourable to violating the law, which is considered the crux of Sutherland’s theory (Lilly et al 2011). The last three points discuss the variations of behaviour and learning

Research has shown that the peer relations a youth is engaged with, as well as the bond an individual has with social institutions will affect their criminal behaviour (Howell and Egley Jr. 2005; Lachman, Roman and Cahill 2013). As a child grows, the impact that their peers have on their attitudes and behaviour contributes greatly to their decisions. Youth begin to move away from the attitudes of their guardians and begin to look for networks of friends, similar to themselves, which will provide them with support. In these groups, youth form intimate bonds and are influenced heavily by their peers and as a result will learn different values. The impact of their peers is determined by how much weight a youth gives to the opinions of their social group. And if the bonds are strong and an individual continues to engage with more groups that favour deviance, then the youth will be motivated to engage in deviant behaviour.
Although Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory can explain why environmental and social factors affect youth gang membership, it cannot explain why those dealing with economic difficulties are likely to join a gang. Research has shown that individuals embedded in an underclass community and those of a low socioeconomic status are inhibited from obtaining academic and economic success and in turn, engage