The parents of a deviant child often want to find some way to excuse their offspring’s behavior, and it’s common to hear them sa
y, "He just fell in with a bad crowd." Which theory of deviance does this explanation most closely resemble?A) differential association B) labeling theory
C) self-fulfilling prophecy
D) structural strain theory
E) in-group orientation
A deviant behavior can be defined as the behavioral pattern that stands in the contradiction of the norms of the society.
The Differential association theory was theorised by Edwin Sutherland in 1939. According to this theory of deviance, people tend to learn the values, attitudes, and motives for criminal activities from the people that one is surrounded with. This theory has played a vital role in analysing the behavior and studies of criminology.
In the case, the parents who say that their offsprings have learned the deviant behavior from the company of bad people or crowd resembles the theory of differential association proposed by Edwin.
