SUTHERLAND'S THEORY

Sutherland's theory

Sutherland's theory

According to Sutherland, criminal behaviour is learned based on the interactions we have with others and the values that we receive during that interaction. We learn values from family, friends, co-workers, etc. Those values either support or oppose criminal behaviour. Sutherland also noted that individuals with an excess of criminal definitions will be more open to new criminal definitions and that individual will be less receptive to anticriminal definitions. The theory does not emphasise who one's associates are but rather upon the definitions provided by those associations. Once techniques are learned, values (or definitions) supporting that criminal behaviour ...