Sociological approaches suggest that crime is shaped by factors external to the individual: their experiences within the neighbourhood, the peer group, and the family. are shaped by between people's everyday movements through space and time.

1. Sociological Theories of Crime
Aqsa shahid

2. Content Distribution of Group Members:
• Introduction
• Social Learning Theory
• Social disorganization Theory
• Different association Theory
• Labeling Theory
• Control Theory
• Theory of Anomie/strain theory
• Conflict Theory
• Structural functionalism
• Rational Choice Theory

3. Introduction:
• Sociological approaches suggest that crime is shaped by factors external to
the individual: their experiences within the neighborhood, the peer group,
and the family. are shaped by between people's everyday movements
through space and time.
• The theory assumes that people, at birth have neither a motivation to
commit crime nor to conform.
• Why does an individual commit crimes? The answer to this question
stresses the process of learning, which involves the interaction between
thought or cognition, behavior, and environment.

4. Social Learning Theory:
• Why do people engage in crime according to social learning theory? They
learn to engage in crime, primarily through their association with others.
They are reinforced for crime, they learn beliefs that are favorable to
crime, and they are exposed to criminal models. As a consequence, they
come to view crime as something that is desirable or at least justifiable in
certain situations.
• According to social learning theory, juveniles learn to engage in crimes in
the same way they learn to engage in conforming behavior: through
association with exposure to others. Primary or intimate groups like the
family and peer group have an especially large impact on what we learn.
• Social learning theory postulates that there are three mechanisms
by which individuals learn to engage in crime: differential
reinforcement, beliefs, and modeling.

5. Social Learning and Behavior Reinforcement:
• Differential reinforcement of crime. Individuals may teach others
to engage in crime through the reinforcements and punishments
they provide for behavior. Crime is more likely to occur when;
a) It is frequently reinforced and infrequently punished
b) Results in large amounts of reinforcement (e.g. a lot of money,
social approval, or pleasure) and little punishment.
c) Is more likely to be reinforced than alternative behaviors.

6. Case:
• 47-year-old Tracey Bogle served a 16-year prison sentence for kidnapping, armed
robbery, assault, car theft and sexual assault (Court of Appeals for Oregon, 2001).
He committed the crime in 1993, with one of his older brothers, Robert Zane
Bogle (Court of Appeals for Oregon, 2001). The pair were motivated by money,
following a terminated business deal between themselves and their two victims,
David Fijalka and Sandra Jackson. During the ordeal, the brothers threatened,
intimidated, physically and sexually assaulted the victim’s, before stealing their
car. Tracey and Robert Bogle were convicted of first degree burglary, two counts
of first degree robbery, two counts of second degree assault and a single charge of
first degree sodomy; all counts were increased in sentencing due to use of a
firearm. They were also convicted of single counts of use of an unauthorized
vehicle, felon in possession of firearm, and kidnapping by confinement (Court of
Appeals for Oregon, 2001).

7. Conti….
• The Bogle family had a history of criminal behaviour, dating back to 1920
(Spitznagel, 2018). Evidence suggests that criminal behaviour was
conditioned in the Bogle children from an early age by the criminal
matriarch of the family, their father Rooster Bogle (Butterfield, 2018).
Tracey was incarcerated consistently from the time he was 15 years old
(Butterfield, 2018). It appears the Bogle family views criminal behaviour
and incarceration as a rite of passage (Butterfield, 2018). Tracey said
“There is a domino effect in a family like ours, what you’re raised with,
you grow to become. You don’t escape”. (Butterfield, 2002). Through
strong family ties and encouragement, Tracey observed a model of
behaviour, leading to the acquisition, instigation and regulation of criminal
behaviours.

8. Social Disorganized Theory
The social disorganization theory is a
theory developed by the Chicago
School, related to ecological theories.
The theory directly links crime rates
to neighborhood ecological
characteristics; a core principle of
social disorganization theory that
states location matters.
The social disorganization theory is a
sociological theory of crime that
focuses on the relationship between
community characteristics and crime
rates. It suggests that crime is
primarily a result of the breakdown of
social institutions and the absence of
social control in certain
neighborhoods or communities.

9. • It is important to note that social disorganization theory does not
claim that individuals within these communities are inherently
predisposed to criminal behavior. Instead, it emphasizes the impact
of community-level factors on crime rates
• An example in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could involve a
neighborhood or community that experiences high levels of crime
and deviance due to factors such as poverty, unemployment,
limited access to education, inadequate social services, and weak
community ties.
• Gang-related crimes, Property crimes, Violent Crime

10. • According to this theory factors that increase
crime rate:
• Poverty, residential instability, ethnic heterogeneity,
and a lack of social cohesion within a community.
• High population turnover: The neighborhood
experiences a high rate of migration, with people
frequently moving in and out.
• Ethnic and cultural diversity
• Inadequate infrastructure and public services
• Weak social institutions

11. Differential Association Theory
In 1947 Edwin Sutherland proposed:
Crime is a learning process that
could affect any individual in any
culture
This theory focus on how individual
learn to become a criminal
.
According to differential
association theory, individuals
learn criminal behavior through
their interactions with others,
particularly within social groups
or subcultures that promote and
reinforce criminal activities

12. Differential Association Theory: Principal
• Criminal behavior is learned. For example(For example, a
teenager may learn how to shoplift by observing and interacting
with peers who engage in such activities)
• Criminal behavior is learned through communication: Individuals
learn criminal behavior through verbal and nonverbal
communication with others. For instance,( a gang member might
teach a new recruit the techniques of drug dealing or the tactics
for committing a burglary
• Criminal behavior is learned in intimate groups close-knit groups
such as families, peers.(For example, a group of friends involved
in graffiti vandalism may reinforce and teach each other new
tagging techniques).

13. Conti…
• Learning involves techniques and motives. (For instance, a person involved in
white-collar crime may learn how to manipulate financial records while also
justifying their actions by believing they are "beating the system" or
providing for their family.)
• Criminal behavior is reinforced through rewards and punishments: People are
more likely to engage in criminal behavior if they perceive rewards or benefits
from it.. For example, a drug dealer may be motivated by the financial rewards
of drug sales while being deterred by the potential risk of imprisonment.
• Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity:
The influence of different associations varies based on factors such as how often
they occur, how long they last, the importance individuals attach to them, and the
emotional intensity involved. For instance, a person who spends significant
time with a group engaged in criminal activities is more likely to be influenced
by their behaviors compared to someone who only has occasional encounters
with that group.

14. • Criminal behavior is expressed when favorable definitions outweigh
unfavorable definitions. (For example, if a person grows up in an
environment where they witness family members, friends, and role
models engaging in criminal behavior, they are more likely to
adopt those behaviors themselves.)
• Learning criminal behavior involves the same mechanisms as other
forms of learning .Individuals acquire criminal skills, values, and
attitudes through observation, imitation, and reinforcement, much like
how they learn other skills or behaviors.

15. Case Study
• In Lahore, there is a neighborhood called "Gulshan Town," which has a high crime
rate. Within this neighborhood, a group of young individuals, including Ali, Basit,
and Kamran, has formed a close-knit friendship. They spend a significant amount
of time together, often engaging in activities such as gambling, drug use, and
theft.
• Ali, Basit, and Kamran have grown up in an environment where criminal
behavior is prevalent and accepted as a means of gaining status and material
benefits.
• They have been exposed to criminal values, techniques, and rationalizations
through their interactions with older peers and family members involved in
illegal activities.
• Over time, through repeated exposure to these criminal behaviors and the influence
of their social group, Ali, Basit, and Kamran start to internalize the attitudes,
beliefs, and skills associated with criminal behavior.
• As a result, Ali, Basit, and Kamran begin engaging in various criminal acts in
Gulshan Town, such as shoplifting, pickpocketing, and drug dealing. They recruit
other vulnerable individuals from the neighborhood, further expanding their
criminal network. The cycle continues as they pass on their criminal knowledge and
values to their recruits, perpetuating the criminal subculture within the community.

16. Labeling Theory
• Labeling theory, was formulated by the sociologist
Howard Becker.
• Rather than looking at the qualities or circumstances
that make a person turn bad, Becker (1963) asks how
this definition of bad behaviour was originally
constructed.
• As he explains in his book The Outsiders, “social
groups create deviance by making the rules whose
infraction constitutes deviance, and by applying those
rules to particular people and labeling them as
outsiders”

17. Cont…
• Labeling someone as a criminal can lead to bad conduct. The theory
purports that society's establishing someone as a criminal based on deviant
behavior may lead others to mistreat the person labeled as a criminal.
• In other words, individuals may face stigma , discrimination against them
because of the criminal label.
• Therefore, the person might become a criminal.
• Thus, the focus of the labeling theory is to show that society's perception
and treatment of others can cause them to commit wrong acts. Therefore,
the person might, in turn, become a criminal.

18. Case Study
•A young man named Ali across the street is a
thief because he was seen in the company of
Arif with deviant behavior. Even though he
may not be a thief, it might cause him to steal
due to the label given to him.

19. Social Control Theory
• In criminology, social control theory proposes that
exploiting the process of socialization and social
learning builds self-control and reduces the inclination
to indulge in behavior recognized as antisocial. It
derived from functionalist theories of crime and was
developed by Ivan Nye (1958).
• Example: An example in a religious setting is if an
individual engages in religious rituals in order to bolster
their beliefs.

20. Types of Social Control Theory
• There were three types of control:
• Direct: by which punishment is threatened or
applied for wrongful behavior, and compliance is
rewarded by parents, family, and authority figures.
• Indirect: by identification with those who
influence behavior, say because their delinquent act
might cause pain and disappointment to parents and
others with whom they have close relationships.
• Internal: by which a youth refrains from
delinquency through the conscience or superego.

21. What is happening?

22. Strain /Anomie Theory
Strain theory is a sociological and criminological theory developed in
1938 by Robert K. Merton. The theory states that society puts pressure
on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals (such as the American Dream),
even though they lack the means to do so.
 Parental rejection, child abuse, bullying, loss of job, loss of a loved one, discrimination, and criminal
victimization. However, the characteristics of some strains are more likely to lead to crime.
Two Formulations of Strain Theory
• Structural strain
• Individual strain

24. Case study
• One example of a Pakistani case that could be related to the Strain Theory of
Criminology is the case of a man named Ahmed and his brother-in-law, who were
involved in a family dispute over property. Ahmed and his brother-in-law had a
heated argument that ultimately led to Ahmed shooting and killing his brother-in-
law. The dispute over property could be seen as a source of strain that led to the
violent confrontation. Ahmed was arrested and charged with murder.

25. Rational choice Theory
• Humans beings are rational beings and have free
will to make their own decisions.
• Rational choice theory is the view that people
behave as they do because they believe that
performing their choosen actions has more
benefits than cost.
• That is, people make rational choices based on
their goals, and those choices govern their
behavior.

26. Conti…..
• A criminal may also decide NOT to engage in
crime if the COST overweigh the BENEFITS.
• Example: a student choosing what to do
after high school, a business decision
involving a large purchase, or a family
deciding where to move
• https://youtu.be/JaKMimJPxyA

27. Conflict Theory
• Conflict Theory is most commonly associated
with Karl Marx.
• Macro level approach
• Looks as society as a competition for limited
resources.
• Focuses on the causes and consequences of class
conflict between bourgeoisie ( the owner of the
mean of the production) and the capitalists___
basically the rich people) and the proletariat (
the working class and the poor)
• Societal conflicts as force that drives change in
society.

29. Functionalist theories on crime
• The functionalist view on crime explains the existence of crime as
being the result of the structure of society (rather than as a result
of individuals themselves).
• Émile Durkheim's functionalist theory of crime
According to Émile Durkheim (1964), a limited amount of crime
is inevitable. Durkheim stresses that not all members of society
can commit to shared norms, values and beliefs and that exposure
to different experiences or circumstances is what makes them
different to one another. As a result, some end up breaking the
law.

30. 2. Social regulation
• Social regulation is one of the functions that societal structures
carry out in managing public interests like the
environment, health, education etc.
• By punishing someone for their crimes in this way, enforcers of
the law are sending a warning message to the rest of society that
such deviant behaviour won’t be tolerated.
3. Social change
• The law clearly states what is or isn’t permissible in society, but it
isn't fixed. People notice when the laws don’t line up with the
shared values and beliefs of the majority. Eventually, this can spur
social change.

31. 2. Social regulation
• Social regulation is one of the functions that societal structures
carry out in managing public interests like the
environment, health, education etc.
• By punishing someone for their crimes in this way, enforcers of
the law are sending a warning message to the rest of society that
such deviant behaviour won’t be tolerated.
3. Social change
• The law clearly states what is or isn’t permissible in society, but it
isn't fixed. People notice when the laws don’t line up with the
shared values and beliefs of the majority. Eventually, this can spur
social change.

32. Limitations of sociological theories of crime
1. All sociological theories of crime are limited and may be
incorrect. This could be the result of incomplete information,
faulty assumptions, or even overt bias stemming from cultural,
religious, or political prejudices.
2. The sociological theory assumes that crime is unnatural for
people and comes about because of problems in society such
as poverty, inequality, and unemployment.
3. It dismisses the idea that a person can be born with criminal
tendencies, but are instead shaped by their environment.

33. Thank you
Any question?