Criminology

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nAlbert Banduras social learning theory can explain the root causes of Marys behaviors. People learn to be involved in crime through their relationship with others and the environment they live. Consequently, they get psychological reinforcement for crime, and understand the beliefs that favor crime as well as gaining exposure to criminal models (Powell, Symbaluk, & Honey, 2009, p. 55). Juvenile learns to be involved in crime and delinquent behaviors in a similar way they learn to be engaged in a compliant behavior via exposure and association with good people (Ashford, LeCroy, & Lortie, 2010, p. 13). Criminal models that Mary associated with reinforced her delinquent behaviors. Since her childhood, Mary has lived with unsupportive parents. Her natural father was violent to the family and he was a criminal. Furthermore, since her natural father was a drug addict, she accepted drugs as something that is justifiable in her life (Wortley, 2011, p. 69).

nAccording to social learning theory, individuals, especially children and juveniles learn to participate in crime through three ways. These include differential modeling, beliefs and reinforcement. Differential reinforcement of crime means that a person can learn from others on how to participate in the crime by reinforcing certain behaviors (Powell, Symbaluk, & Honey, 2009, p. 57). Besides, it suggests that some persons live in environments where deviance is regularly reinforced. Marys parent reinforced her behavior because of lack of support and maltreatment that purposely encouraged and supported rebellious behaviors (Ashford, LeCroy, & Lortie, 2010, p. 19). In particular, her biological father reinforced Marys aggressive behavior by neglecting his family and punishing them without reason. Similarly, her stepfather also reinforced her behavior by physical and sexual abuses of her two daughters – Mary and her elder sister. Furthermore, her delinquent behavior was reinforced after her mother refused to address the challenges she was experiencing in her life (Sun, 2008, p. 5). Her mother was a drug addict and she was not concerned of nurturing the children in the right manner. Marys mother also chose to keep her relationship at the expense of her daughters social well-being. These domestic environments forced Mary to learn and reinforced hatred, rebellious and criminal behaviors towards her parents. Besides, she acquired an aggressive character (Powell, Symbaluk, & Honey, 2009, p. 71). Ultimately, her wayward behavior deteriorated because of she believed that deviance is the only solution to solve her own problems.

nMary after joining school, she associated herself with delinquent friends in school where she learned juvenile criminal behaviors (Shaffer, 2009, p. 12). Additionally, she developed beliefs in her friends, hence she became disobedient to her teachers in school. In addition, she modeled her friends behaviors in school. Therefore, she learned from them to skip class and engage in illegal activities against her teachers will. Furthermore, she learned from her friends at school how to experiment illegal drugs, engage in casual sex, perform petty thefts and staying out of home for a long period (Ashford, LeCroy, & Lortie, 2010, p. 42). Teachers in most cases punished her and she decided to drop out of school.

nConsequently, due to differential reinforcement, beliefs and modeling, Mary became a hard to handle girl who never wanted to be criticized for anything she was doing. When her father harangued her for returning home late, she stabbed his head with a bottle. Hostile living environment at home and delinquent friends at school forced her to run away from home to a place where she could carry out criminal activities freely (Wortley, 2011, p. 71).

nAccording to social learning theory, a deviance is likely to take place after it is regularly reinforced and irregularly punished. In addition, deviance takes place if a person expects huge amounts of support (Shaffer, 2009, p. 15). She joined her friends in the streets where she learned serious criminal behaviors such as robbery with violence. The new friends in the streets socially supported her to be a criminal. Moreover, her friends reinforced her behavior on use of illegal drugs, prostitution, aggressiveness and delinquency.

nSocial learning theory states that differential reinforcement can be both negative and positive. In Marys life, it led to negative reinforcement (Sun, 2008, p. 3). In such a case, Marys behaviors were negatively reinforced because she wanted to be like her friends in the streets. To conform to her friends characters or avoid losing them, she had to copy their way of life. Marys friends gave her the support and encouragement that purposely motivated and intensified criminal behaviors (Ashford, LeCroy, & Lortie, 2010, p. 19).

nA favorable belief to crime means that a person can learn individual beliefs from others that approve crime. Mary engaged in serious crime of killing and robbing a tourist after getting approval from her friends. Moreover, some individual believe that crime is a good alternative to satisfy needs of human beings (Powell, Symbaluk, & Honey, 2009, p. 80). In this respect, Mary joined a criminal gang after escaping from home because she wanted to have money that would help her purchase drugs. Besides, her co-offender became her model; hence, she decided to join her in attacking and robbing a male tourist (Ashford, LeCroy, & Lortie, 2010, p. 24). According to social learning theory, Marys engagement in crime and deviance behavior was aimed at emphasizing her roughness or being “macho.” Therefore, she viewed crime in favorable terms as compared to other actions (Wortley, 2011, p. 91).

nThere are other sociological theories such as symbolic interaction theory, conflict theory and psychoanalytic theory. However, these theories cannot explain Marys behavior because they fail to explain the learning process of an individual and the effects of community on individuals behaviors (Powell, Symbaluk, & Honey, 2009, p. 63). For instance, conflict theory focuses on social change and maintaining the status quo in the society. Therefore, it cannot be used to describe Marys behaviors, which are products of socialization in the society.

nSocial learning theory suggests that criminal model imitations produce certain behavior. Therefore, an individual behavior is a product of the traits of those they have associations. People in most cases imitate another persons behaviors, particularly those they admire or look up to (Shaffer, 2009, p. 22). After Mary decided to run away from home, she joined her colleagues in the streets. Her use of drugs increased because of associating with these delinquent youths. Since her friends were still participating in prostitutions to obtain money for drugs, Mary imitated them in their characters. Her co-offender was the role model in her life. Consequently, she never opposed her co-offender when she proposed a plan of robbing a tourist his money (Sun, 2008, p. 9). Mary had also imitated uncooperative characters from the deviant youths; therefore, she was adamant to speak to a psychologist concerning her behaviors.

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nReferences

nAshford, J., LeCroy, C., & Lortie, K. (2010). Human behavior in the social environment. Australia: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

nPowell, R., Symbaluk, D., & Honey, P. (2009). Introduction to learning and behavior. Belmont , Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

nShaffer, D. (2009). Social and personality development. Australia: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

nSun, K. (2008). Correctional counseling. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

nWortley, R. (2011). Psychological criminology. New York: Routledge.