Labeling theory and theories of social learning focus on how the surrounding world influences individual behavior. The question is not only why someone commits crime, but also how identity, expectations, and group norms can reinforce or counteract norm-breaking actions.

Labeling theory

Labeling theory is about how society's reactions to a person can affect future behavior. When an individual is seen as a "criminal" or a "problem person," that label can influence both how other people treat the person and how the person sees themselves.

If an individual comes to see themselves as criminal, it may become easier to continue with norm-breaking behavior. This is closely connected to the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy: if the surrounding world consistently expects a certain behavior, that expectation may help bring the behavior into being.

That is why overly strong or long-lasting negative reactions from society can reinforce a negative identity and make it harder for the individual to leave crime behind.

Social learning

Theories of social learning explain crime by focusing on how people learn behavior through interaction with others. Family, friends, groups, and digital environments can influence which norms a person adopts.

If people close to someone commit crime or hold a positive attitude toward it, the risk increases that the person will develop similar behaviors or attitudes. In the same way, law-abiding norms can be strengthened in environments where rules and responsibility are valued highly.

Reward, peer pressure, and neutralization

Criminal behavior can be reinforced when it leads to something perceived as positive, such as money, status, excitement, or attention. Peer pressure can also lead people to do things they otherwise would not have done.

An important part of social learning is neutralization theory. It describes how people who commit crime often justify their actions, for example by blaming circumstances, claiming the victim deserved it, or denying that anyone was harmed.

  • "Everyone else does it too."
  • "No one was really hurt."
  • "It was someone else's fault that it happened."

Such ways of thinking can reduce guilt and make it easier to continue with norm-breaking behavior.

Preventing crime is not only about reacting to the act. It also requires work with self-image, relationships, and the norms people learn.

Sources: Granhag, P. A., Stromwall, L. A., Ask, K. & Landstrom, S. (2021). Handbook of Forensic Psychology. Liber. SO-rummet and the Finnish Crime Prevention Council as cited in the source material.