Mann_Jonica_Differetial Association Theory

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Grand Canyon University *

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212

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Arts Humanities

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Dec 6, 2023

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Differential Association Theory Jonica Mann College of Humanities and Social Science, Grand Canyon University JUS-212: Criminology and Victimology Mark Sims October 29, 2023 1

Introduction There are many different social groups, or cliques, in the turbulent high school environment, each with its own unique traits and social dynamics. My high school experiences are a good source of information for understanding these cliques and applying Edwin Sutherland's Differential Association Theory to explain why they are more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Differential Association Theory is a useful tool for analyzing group behavior during adolescence, but it must be used in conjunction with other influences on teenage behavior. High School Cliques There are many distinct kinds of cliques in high school. To mention a few, there are the outcasts, jocks, preps, geeks, and emo. The boys who played sports and seemed to get away with anything were known as jocks. They were well-liked and gifted athletes. The adolescents that wore all black and gave the impression that they were not bothered about anything were the emo kids. The cheerleaders and the popular rich kids were the preps. The extremely intelligent kids with decent grades were known as nerds. The last group were the outcasts, who were mostly disadvantaged kids who did not fit in due to their socioeconomic status. Cliques play a little role in behavior changes and emerging during adolescence and early adulthood (Ellis and Zarbatany, 2017). For example, jocks were frequently connected to athletic competition and physical strength. Although this group is not naturally inclined to illegal activity, peer pressure and fierce rivalry may encourage abnormal behavior. The environment that their clique creates may be linked to aggressive incidents, whether they occur on or off the field, such as fighting or bullying, supporting the ideas of Differential Association Theory. However, the geeks, who were frequently involved in studies and technology hobbies, were less likely to commit crimes. Their associations were centered around sharing knowledge, academic success, and nonviolent 2

pastimes. Differential Association Theory would therefore imply that their desire for illegal activity was minimal. Differential Association Theory According to the differential association theory, young people learn about crime before committing it, but it is also possible that seasoned offenders and delinquents look for friends who share their views after committing antisocial behavior and that internalizing deviant beliefs comes after, not before, criminal activity (Siegel, 2018). Social groups also influence the conduct of young children, including victimization by peers (Vidourek and King, 2019). The changing nature and mobility of social groups during adolescence are not taken into consideration by the Differential Association Theory. Cliques in high school are dynamic; people frequently join and leave groups based on their goals and interests. Due to this flexibility, the idea may be more difficult to apply because different people may be exposed to different effects at different points during their time in high school. In my high school, cliques frequently mixed together, making it difficult to distinguish between associations and complicating the easy application of Differential Association Theory. It was not unusual to witness jocks hanging out with geeks or popular students working with misfits on different projects. These exchanges demonstrated that it was not possible to ascribe high school students' behavior exclusively to their primary clique. Conclusion Finally, Differential Association Theory provides important insights into comprehending the actions of various high school cliques. It explains why groups with pro-criminal ideas and attitudes, like the rebels, are more likely to engage in criminal action. But it's important to understand that this idea is only one component of the jigsaw. Adolescents are influenced by a wide range of influences, and the theory's implementation is made more difficult by the fluidity 3

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