Explanation
Differential association is a criminological concept developed by Edwin H. Sutherland. The theory argues that criminal behavior is learned through interaction and communication within intimate social groups.
According to Sutherland, individuals become delinquent when they are exposed to more definitions favorable to law violation than to definitions unfavorable to it. Crime is therefore not understood as biologically inherited or psychologically abnormal but as socially learned behavior.
The learning process includes:
- techniques for committing offenses,
- motives and rationalizations,
- attitudes toward law and authority,
- and group norms supporting deviant behavior.
Differential association became one of the foundational theories of modern criminology and strongly influenced later approaches such as Social Learning Theory, symbolic interactionism, and sociological learning theories of crime.
Theoretical Reference
Differential association is associated with Edwin H. Sutherland, social learning theory, symbolic interactionism, and learning theories of crime.