Learning Theory is the theory that I feel best supports this notion of criminal socialization. "Learning refers to habits and knowledge that develop as a result of the experiences of the individual in entering and adjusting to the environment"

(Vold, et al., 1998:180). This involves learning positive and negative behavior. Edwin Sutherland's theory of criminal behavior examined this phenomenon. "The content of what is learned includes specific techniques for committing crimes . . . the process by which the learning takes place involves associations with other people in intimate personal groups"

(Vold, et al., 1998:185). In A Theory of Differential Association, Sutherland and Donald Cressey explain the process that

Social control theory, which is best known through Travis Hirschi, states that "individuals who were tightly bonded to social groups such as the family, the school, and peers would be less likely to commit delinquent acts" (Vold, et al., 1998:207). In other words, individuals who are bonded to other groups such as delinquent peers, gangs, or those who are bonded to no one are more likely to be involved in criminal behavior. I suppose that one could say that an individual who is bonded to no one can be under socialized (as stated earlier). The problem with that, though, is that an individual can be socialized and learn behavior without actually having a close bond with the group he or she is learning from.

I do not feel that there is any empirical evidence to support the claim that criminals are unsocialized, or under socialized individuals. There are exceptions to every theory, which is one of the reasons that there are so many theories to explain so many different causes of crime. The point being that this could possibly explain the criminal behavior of certain individuals, but it is doubtful that this claim could apply very frequently. As was stated in the opening paragraph, socialization is inevitable, unless an individual is cut off completely from society, which would be quite rare. Some people may view certain criminals as "unsocialized" because they do not rise to that person's definition of "socialized", but that certainly does not mean that the individual has had no socialization. There are so many theories that explain how society affects an individual's behavior that this claim seems ludicrous.

According to Strain Theory, "the culture of any society defines certain goals it deems 'worth striving for'"(

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