CRIM 1125 Lecture : Cultural Transmission Theories.docx
Document Summary
Criminals learn criminal values in the same way that we all learn our values- Through interacting with other people in intimate groups. Also learn techniques for committing crimes, and techniques for justifying/rationalizing criminal behaviour. Social context that leads to criminal behaviour. Associating with people who are more delinquent makes a person more likely to engage in delinquent behaviour. Criminals learn to regard their behaviour as normal It is learned in a process of interaction with others. The principal part of learning occurs within intimate personal groups. Learning includes: a) techniques of committing crime, and b) motives, rationalizations, and attitudes. Individuals learn definitions of legal codes as favourable or unfavourable. Individuals become delinquent through an excess of definitions favourable to criminal activity. Differential associations may differ in intensity, duration, priority and frequency over time. Criminal learning involves the same mechanisms as other types of learning.