The Social Learning Theory of Crime

THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF CRIME

Rules on Social Learning Theory of Crime

1. Children/people copy.

2. They make a choice about who they copy.

3. They are more likely to copy a higher status same sex role model.

4. They are most likely to copy if they see their model rewarded. (Vicarious reinforcement)

5. Behaviour has to be noticed

6. The behaviour has to be remembered

7. the person has to be capable of reproducing the behaviour

8. There has to be a motivation to repeat the behaviour

Modelling/Imitation

Refers to the behaviour being demonstrated as well as being reproduced

-Application of the Theory

Social Learning Theory of Crime

* This means taking these rules and suggesting that, as this is how most people learn most things, then this is how people learn to become criminals!

* Furthermore it can explain why people choose to become criminals. (i.e. if a person strongly identifies with a role model, they really want to be like them and so a long term role model who is a criminal is somebody the person wants to become like and so they choose a life of crime and copy the behaviour in order to learn how to be like their hero/model)

* Applying social learning theory to understanding how people learn to be criminals involves describing a suggested process

* You have to describe the process that goes on when a person decides to copy a certain behaviour and further processes involved in continuing to copy that behaviour to the point that the person themselves become a criminal

A story relating to Social Learning Theory of Crime

I see, I recognize, I learned, I do

Joe was a lonely boy. For the early part of his life he had gone to 6 schools as his father, a soldier travelled around with his different postings. Then Joe’s dad left him and his mom. His dad had a baby with a girl only 9 years older than Joe. Joe was very angry with his dad. Although he was also angry at his mum for letting it happen....