Labeling Theory Sources for your Essay

Labeling Theory Originating in Sociology and Criminology,


Labeling theorist want to understand what happens after an individual is caught committing a crime, and society attaches a label to the offender. This differs from the view of choice, biological predisposition, psychological factors, social learning factors, and societal bond and control theories, which seek to explain the first and subsequent criminal acts (Akers and Sellers, 2004)

Labeling Theory Originating in Sociology and Criminology,


The issue involved is not whether an individual is maladjusted to society, but the fact that his adjustment to a special group makes him maladjusted to the large society because the group he fits into is at war with society." Precisely because a child is labeled a delinquent, the label "transforms the offender's identity from a doer of evil to an evil person" (Tannenbaum, 1938, pg

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


Juveniles are routinely bombarded with different prompts and signals as to how they are being perceived by others. Through the act of role taking and other defining situations, juveniles are able to "accurately interpret the meanings of symbols and gestures used to project labels upon them" (Adams, Robertson, Gray-Ray & Ray, 2003)

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


The response of the community -- initially parents, peers, and teachers, and later, members of the juvenile justice system -- to initial acts of primary deviance is to label the youth as "bad" or "delinquent." (Bartusch & Matsueda, 1996, p

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


But to the extent that reintegrative shaming is more dominant than stigmatization in a culture, the culture will have less crime. (Braithwaite, 1995, p

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


antisocial behaviour that emerges during adolescence is, on this account, the result of an individual reaching biological maturity prior to reaching social maturity (where he or she has legal access to such liberties to consume alcohol, and operate a motor vehicle). (Carroll, Hemingway, Bower, Ashman, Houghton & Durkin, 2006) To those that are waking a razor's edge of sanity, what may be considered healthy daydreams and fantasies that alleviate tension may be the precursors of adverse reactions to stigmatization and create the acting out of criminal scenarios

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


This is so because such youth are presumably disadvantaged in marshalling resources on their own behalves. (Curran, 1988, p

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


Deviant formal labels are hypothesized to be much more detrimental than informal labels, but the overall contribution of both can certainly be devastating. Succinctly, labeling theory looks at differing labeling sources and specific relationships over time and makes an attempt to predict the onset of deviant behavior in juveniles (Downs, Robertson & Harrison, 1997)

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


164) In general it has proven unsuccessful to apprehend, punish and incarcerate a large group of criminal offenders with the result of reducing or preventing further crime. Yet, of course, it is not practical, nor popular, to abandon punishment altogether (Felson & Clarke, 1995)

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


There is also the concept of labeling some popular culture as crime. Ferrel in his article, Cultural Criminology, describes this idea, "The notion of 'culture as crime' denotes the reconstruction of cultural enterprise as criminal endeavor -- through, for example, the public labeling of popular culture products as criminogenic, or the criminalization of cultural producers through media or legal channels" (Ferrell, 1999, p

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


There are many theories as to why children and adolescents succumb to criminal behavior and in general there are three predictors as regards their environment. These are family, peer, and attitudinal variables (Hoge, Andrews & Leschied, 1994)

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


By stereotyping certain people or even situations with similar characteristics, the brain shortcuts much of the rethinking involved in analyzing the circumstance or situation and is able to act and adapt more quickly. Stereotyping is the basic premise of labeling theory (Lanier & Henry, 1998) and is expounded upon in criminology and specifically in the cases of the juvenile delinquent

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


A pecking order is either implied or expressly set down. This is evident in processes as complex as flow and organizational charts to as simple a concept as the seating order in a conference room meeting (Link & Phelan, 2001)

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


Both overall social skills and extreme levels of child problem behavior fit well within the framework of existing literature. Social skills problems such as difficulty developing pro-social interpersonal relationships, difficulty with peers and teachers, and an inability to interact well with adults, including police officers and other authority figures, have been associated with later delinquency (Mann & Reynolds, 2006) This is a crucial concept in labeling

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


This is evident in processes as complex as flow and organizational charts to as simple a concept as the seating order in a conference room meeting (Link & Phelan, 2001). This type of negative displacement can have ramifications later on when applying for employment and can certainly contribute to the furthering of criminal behavior to supplement the missing income (McCarthy, 2002)

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


(126) Although his initial evaluation revealed more severe dispositions for members of minority and lower socioeconomic classes, the differences disappeared when he controlled for number of previous offenses and the seriousness of the current charge (1999, p. 615) It was cases such as this along with the influence of labeling theory that helped to convince the Supreme Court in the 1960's to recognize certain constitutional protections in the juvenile justice system in regards to the treatment and sentencing of youthful offenders (O'Connor & Treat, 1996)

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


In numerous instances, when children are labeled delinquents, they take on like characteristics. (Onwudiwe, 2004) It is this negative impact of labeling that criminologists believe greatly contributes to juvenile delinquency and is the pre-generative agency in the beginning life of a career criminal

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


The distribution of the power to apply labels is indicative of the social differentiation ultimately expressed in different behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. (Sullivan & Wilson, 1995) Put another way, the act of labeling prevents the stigmatized from interacting effectively with the larger society

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


(Carroll, Hemingway, Bower, Ashman, Houghton & Durkin, 2006) To those that are waking a razor's edge of sanity, what may be considered healthy daydreams and fantasies that alleviate tension may be the precursors of adverse reactions to stigmatization and create the acting out of criminal scenarios. "What is cleansing to a healthy mind may overwhelm a less balanced psyche" (Robertz, 2007, p

Labeling Theory and Its Specific


This then lends a jaundiced eye to the attitudes of authority when dealing with the offender and certainly may influence the scales regarding the depth of the punishment involved. The cycle begins, the youth sees it as a "me against them" campaign and begins to expect the same treatment and usually is not disappointed (Tittle & Grasmick, 1997)