Social Labeling Theory: Juvenile Delinquency
Social labeling theory was originally developed by the theorist Howard Becker to explain why certain individuals believe that a path of crime will be more advantageous to them then following social norms. Becker suggested that criminals often internalize the label of deviancy at a young age, believing that since more conventional and positive labels cannot apply to them, celebrating deviancy is the only possible path to happiness and some form of social approval, even if approval only comes from fellow deviants. Labeled criminals come to believe this, not because they are innately wicked or have psychological problem but because people labeled as criminals are often from historically disadvantaged groups, such as discriminated-against minorities, the poor, and those denied the advantages of education (“The Labeling Theory of Crime”).
Labeling theory also suggests that society is unwilling to label certain groups of people who do commit crimes because they come from privileged backgrounds. Although white-collar crime can generate significant social harms, such as when short-selling and other forms of questionable speculation resulted in the stock market crash of 2008, white collar criminals are less likely to be labeled as belonging to a deviant class, particularly if they are affluent, educated, and involved in prestigious professions such as banking. Deviancy, including juvenile delinquency, is thus the result of social labeling. The effects of the crime are less important than the way the crime is viewed. According to Becker himself: “Deviancy is not a quality of the act a person commits, but rather a consequences of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’. Deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label” (“The Labeling Theory of Crime”).
An interesting contrast may be made between financial crimes, which often get relatively minor punishments, and so-called status...
Works Cited
“Disproportionate Minority Contact and Status Offenses.” Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Web. 7 Apr 2018. http://www.juvjustice.org/sites/default/files/resource- files/DMC%20Emerging%20Issues%20Policy%20Brief%20Final_0.pdf
Fantz, Ashley. “Outrage for six-month sentence for Brock Turner in Stanford rape case.” CNN. 6 Jun 2016. Web. 7 Apr 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/us/sexual-assault-brock-turner-stanford/index.html
“The Labeling Theory of Crime.” Revise Sociology. 20 Aug 2016. Web. 7 Apr 2018. https://revisesociology.com/2016/08/20/labelling-theory-crime-deviance/
Shepherd, Robert. “Plea Bargaining in Juvenile Court.” Criminal Justice, 23 (3): 1-3 Web. 7 Apr 2018. https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/criminal_justice_section_newsl etter/crimjust_cjmag_23_3_shepherd.authcheckdam.pd
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