Criminology - U2 - Interactionism and Labelling Theory Evaluation

Strength: Law is a Social Construct

The theory shows that laws are not fixed rules but are socially constructed. Laws change over time and only become meaningful when labels are attached to them. This helps in understanding how negative associations can be challenged to improve the legal system.

Strength: Highlights Discrimination by Law Enforcement

It exposes how law enforcement applies rules unequally, often targeting specific groups based on stereotypes rather than actual criminal behaviour.

Strength: Shows How Labelling Affects Policy

Laws and policies are influenced by the way society labels certain behaviours. This insight helps explain why some laws are enforced more strictly than others and how policies might be reformed.

Strength: Reveals Bias in Official Statistics

The theory highlights weaknesses and bias in crime statistics, showing that they reflect who is labelled as deviant rather than actual crime rates.

Strength: Connects the Media to Moral Panic

The theory explains how the media exaggerates certain crimes or groups, creating moral panic. Sensationalist reporting and biased portrayals increase public fear, leading to harsher laws and stricter policing. This reinforces stereotypes and influences policy based on perception rather than actual crime rates.

Weakness: Deterministic

The theory wrongly implies that once someone is labelled as deviant, they will inevitably embark on a criminal career. This is overly deterministic as it ignores individual choice and responsibility.

Weakness: Ignores the Victims of Crime

The focus is mainly on offenders and the effects of labelling, rather than on the harm caused to victims.

Weakness: Doesn't Explain the Causes of Crime

It explains how people are labelled as criminals but does not explain why they commit crime in the first place.

Weakness: Criminals Know Right from Wrong

Offenders do not need to be labelled to recognise that they have committed a crime. This suggests that labelling is not always necessary for deviant behaviour.

Weakness: Labelling Doesn't Always Lead to a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Not everyone who is labelled as deviant continues to commit crime. Some reject the label and avoid further offending.