What Are The Eight Basic Assumptions Of The Labeling Theory

The Labeling Reintegrative Shaming Theory, more commonly known as the Labeling Theory, states that people will become stabilized in their criminal roles when they are labeled as criminals and then become stigmatized. This causes the person to develop a criminal identity and once they are sent to jail or prison they will later be excluded from conventional roles. Reintegrative responses are less likely to create defiance and a commitment to crime. There are four researchers most closely associated with the Labeling Reintegrative Shaming Theory. They are Lemert, Matsueda, Braithwaite, and Sherman. John Braithwaite created the Shaming Theory in 1989. His theory says that the stigmas that society puts on offenders are the true reasons for crime
The first assumption is that no act is intrinsically criminal. This means that nothing that occurs is inherently criminal, but society has made it seem like a criminal act. The second assumption is that criminal definitions are enforced in the interests of the powerful. This means that powerful people are in charge of what is defined as a criminal act. The third assumption is that a person does not become a criminal by violating the law, but rather by the designation of criminality by authorities. This means that authorities choose what is a criminal act and who is a criminal, rather than a person violating the law to become a criminal. The fourth assumption of the Labeling Theory is that everyone both conforms and deviates, so people should not be put into criminal and non-criminal categories. This is saying that because everyone deviates, so there should not be any categories at all, because everyone would be considered a criminal
Some examples of behaviors that are impacted by the theory are the acts of deviance committed by young adults or teenagers. Students being labeled as deviant by peers, teachers, or parents may cause them to see themselves as such. Troublesome (but still law-abiding) children, teenagers, or young adults that are constantly berated by parents or teachers and are called delinquents or criminals, will begin to see themselves as criminals and eventually become one themselves. An example of behavior affected by the Labeling Theory would be a high school student that gets caught for cheating on a test. Once their teachers and parents know about the incident, the adults may start to call the student a trouble-maker and delinquent. These negative words toward the students will begin to cause him/her to think that they really are a delinquent. The student’s parents may even tell them things like “first cheating, next stealing” or “you know, cheating now will just lead you to being a criminal later,” which eventually, after hearing comments like these for long enough, the student will become an actual criminal. A third example of a behavior impacted by John Braithwaite’s Shaming Theory is when an ex-criminal cannot easily find work after being in prison. They were labeled formally as a criminal and labeled as untrustworthy as well. This makes them continue