Question

Many adolescents commit crimes in groups with co-offenders. Explain the role of delinquent peers in co-offending from three of the following theoretical perspectives:

a. Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory

b. Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory

c. Agnew’s General Strain Theory

d. Aker’s Social Learning Theory

Answer 1

a. According to Sutherland's Differential Association Theory, criminal behaviour increases with social interactions and in this interactions if a good person continuously remains in contact with a criminal then he also becomes asocial deviant and he can easily become a criminal. In the adolescent period many children come in contact with other dad children and they can easily be a victim of criminal attitude for group Paisa or mentoring group norms caused by peer pressure. They are criminals for their continuous interactions with other criminals and therefore they are involved in criminal activities.

b. Hirschi's social bond theory presents the social influence in four steps: attachment, commitment, involvement and belief. With attachment the child comes in close contact with the others and a relationship is made there. There is a friend circles and all are related with the relationship. The relationship leads them to the commitment. They may plan for doing a criminal activity and so all are committed to join there. This commitment was his involvement and now they are involved in criminal activities. Here Hirschi says that sach attachment is a part of social bond and it is based on some beliefs.

c. In his social learning theory Akers says that people are motivated to do bad or criminal work. He says that children see various types of criminal activities and they observe the criminal activities in their daily social life. They see the criminal activities in TV or radio or newspaper. By observing the criminal activities in various ways they learn social factors behind the activities. Such kind of experience and observation motivate the children to do criminal activities.