Theorys

● Social Reaction Theory - commonly referred to as the labeling theory. Origins traced back to the sociological symbolic interaction theory. According to the social reaction theory, societal response to individuals involved in crime or delinquency creates a label, which subsequently contributes to additional criminality. When an individual is arrested they are then tagged as a criminal. Asa result, further deviance and hostility continues and the community stigmatizes the individual, strengthening deviance.

● Neutralization Theory - the process of becoming criminal is based on learning experiences. However, potential delinquents and criminals master techniques, which enable them to counter neutralize conventional values and drift between illegitimate and legitimate conduct. Commonly called the "drift theory". Individuals are able to drift between various behavior base on subterranean values. Techniques of neutralization include:

◦ Deny responsibility

◦ Deny injury

◦ Deny the victim

◦ Condemn condemners

◦ Appeal to higher loyalties

● Social Bond Theory - according to the social bond theory, positive socialization creates bonds between the individuals and social institutions or groups. The theory states that all' individuals are potential law violators, but are kept under control because of their tear that illegal or deviant behavior will harm their relationships. Four main elements:

1. Attachment

2. Commitment

3. Involvement

4. Belief

● Concentric Zone Theory - using Chicago as an example. Distinct ecological areas had developed in the city, compromising a Sergio of five concentric circles and there were stable differences in inner zone crime rates.

● Containment Theory -reckless created the containment theory because he felt crime was the consequence of social pressures combined with the inability to resist these pressures, which presented a push or pull relationship toward crime.

● Differential Association Theory - nine principles

1. . Criminal behavior is learned

2. Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with others in a process of communication

3. The principle part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups

4. When criminal behavior is learned, the leaving includes:

A. Techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very complicated and sometimes very simple

B. The specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes

5. The specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable

6. A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to law violation over definitions unfavorable to law violation

7. Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority and intensity

8. The process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal and anti-criminal patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning

9. While criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those general needs and values because non-criminal behavior is an expression of the same needs and values

● Broken Window Theory- States physical and community deterioration reads to increased anxieties for physical safety and residential mobility surges. Criminals are attached to these communities because it appears the residents don't care about the community.

● Differential Opportunity Theory - suggests legitimate and illegitimate socially structured opportunities allow success. The core principle of this theory is all individuals within society share the same success goals, but those in the lower class have limited means of achieving the goals. Hence the lower class will break the law and norms in order to achieve the goals.

● Peacemaking Theory or Peacemaking Criminology - believe the purpose of criminology is to promote a peaceful society. Peacemaking criminologists believe poverty is a form of suffering which causes crime; the criminal justice system must eliminate poverty to eliminate crime.

● Power/Control Theory - girls growing up in patriarchal families are socialized to fear legal sanctions more than males; consequently boys in these families exhibit more delinquent behavior then their sisters. As a result, boys commit more deviant and criminal behavior. The delinquent behavior committed by boys continues as they become men and commit further crimes.

● Anomie Theory - an atomic society is one in which rules of behavior, including values, customs, and norms, have broken down into a period of social change or social crisis. Essentially anomie undermines social institutions of control.

● Social Disorganization Theory - examines various social conditions within urban environment, which influence crime rates. The theory States: disorganized institutions of social control such as, the family, commercial establishments, and schools breakdown in urban economically stressed areas and do not provide the appropriate social functions. Indicators of social disorganization include: high unemployment, increased high school drop out rates, low income levels, etc. Gangs are a common feature in these neighborhoods

● General Strain Theory - States criminality is the direct result of negative affects such as anger, frustration, and hostile emotions from negative social relationships.

● Differential Reinforcement Theory - suggests individuals learn to evaluate their own behavior through their interaction with significant others and various groups. Differential reinforcement as so known as direct conditioning, occurs when behavior is reinforced by being either rewarded of punished while interacting with others. When behavior is punished this is known as negative reinforcement. Deviant of criminal behavior will persist on the basis of the degree to which the behavior has been rewarded or punished.

● Social Control Theories -believe all individuals have the potential to violate the law because society presents opportunities to violate the law. Certain behaviors like theft and drug use provide instant gratification while having little consequence. Social control theorists are more concerned with why individuals obey the law. They believe individuals only obey laws as a result of certain behaviors being controlled by internal and external forces.

● Cultural Deviance Theories- blend effects of social disorganization and strain to explain how individuals living in disadvantaged neighborhoods recast to economic deprivation. A theme of these theories is the idea of subculture.

● Subcultural Theory - a sociological perspective of crime. Suggests certain socialized cultural groups create crime. Subcultural values influences localization of crime and delinquency. This theory suggests these subcultural values differ from typical American values.

● Critical Feminist Theory - believes gender inequality is due to the unequal power of men and women in a capitalist society is the core cause of crime. Gender inequality can lead to the exploitation of women by fathers and husbands, consequently considering women a commodity similar to wealth. Believes sexual victimization of girls is a product of male socialization. Critical feminist theorist's understanding of criminal behavior patterns is due to the gender conflict created by the economic and social struggles. The capitalistic system forces lower-class women powerless ; hence they are forced to commit less serious, non-violent crimes such as drug possession, prostitution, and theft. Furthermore, lower-class women are also victimized because the capitalistic system permits economically disenfranchised women to be targeted by offenders.

● Institutional Anomie Theory -views antisocial behavior as a function of cultural and institutional influences in American society. According to this theory, the capitalistic culture involving the " American dream " promotes economic success at a costs.