What Is An Example Of Differential Association Theory

Evaluation of Theory
At the forefront of adolescents are what everyone views and judges’ teenagers by which is their behavior. Underlying that behavior is known as psychosocial problems. This behavior is viewed as drug use, defiance, criminal behavior, or depression. Psychosocial problems in adolescents consist of three broad groups, which are substance abuse, externalizing problems and internalizing problems. For the most part psychosocial problems during adolescents are a transition period and do not create long-term conflicts during adulthood. The psychosocial problems in adolescence vary widely with different areas and factors, and do not necessarily start during the adolescent years, but at an early age. The theories that have been
proposed for psychosocial problems during adolescents are social control theory, differential association theory, and problem behavior theory.
Social control theory is comprised of the possibility that a void of strong bonds between families, schools or the workplace can cause an individual to behave in an unconventional way (Steinberg, 2014).
In other words without a strong bond with parents or authority figures an individual can lose sense their of direction, and go down a different path. This path is not socially acceptable by society, and can cause unnecessary trouble for the individual.
Differential association theory expounds that negative behavior that an adolescent learns through their interactions with other people. This theory is most commonly found in criminal situations. Another example of differential association theory is found amongst gangs. A totally emotionally healthy adolescent can “run with the wrong crowd,” and learn and act out negative behavior. This falls in line with the model that adolescent’s need to be liked and will take risks to fill that need.
Problem behavior theory is thought to have resulted from an underlying trait of unconventionality. Problem behavior can surface when a teenager is externalizing their behavior. The problem behavior theory stems from an underlying trait and the social environment working together. These two combinations can be more difficult to recover from to find the road to a normal
life.
While these three are all separate theories, they do have something in common. When an individual has an underlying trait of unconventionality from early childhood, the traits can push the individual further away from the norms of society. Right into groups of people who behave in a negative way, and further creating the individual to behave in an unconventional way with no real attachment to family, schools or the workplace. A study entitled “Neighborhood, poverty, and negative behavior: An examination of differential association and social control theory,” Wesley T. Church II, Jeremiah W. Jaggers, and Julie K. Taylor utilize differential association and social control theories to explore delinquency, and how it might be prevented amongst adolescents. “The study states that the data suggest that there are a number of factors which have an impact on the likelihood of engaging in negative behavior.” (Church II, Jaggers & Taylor, 2012). Within these factors are aggravations in parenting, poverty, and parental stress. I believe the strengths of this study were the models used to understand the cause of the fundamentals of negative behavior since they are widely displayed. The weakness of this study was there were no discussions about parental drug use. In a study entitled “Parental alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and alcohol-specific attitudes, alcohol-specific communication, and adolescent excessive alcohol use and alcohol-related problems: An indirect path model” exhibits how a parents behavior, or attitude toward alcohol can attribute to the adolescents intake of the drug (Mares, van der Vorst, Engels & Lichtwarck-Aschoff, 2011). The previous study regarding negative behavior should have included studies on this growing problem under the differential association theory. Drug and alcohol use is an obvious and unarguable pathway to delinquent behavior and must be addressed. In conclusion, an adolescent must have structure at home to avoid the abyss of psychosocial problems.
While we have discovered possible causes that the adolescents act in the manner they do, it is important to investigate further on how to prevent adolescents from going down this lonely, dark path. In the culture today both parents are forced to join the workforce leaving teenagers without proper supervision. When the parents are home they are too tired, and overworked to maintain proper supervision. In determining what would save adolescents from the life of crime or long-term problems, much attention must be focused not only by the parent, but the community as a whole.

References

Church II, W. T., Jaggers, J. W., & Taylor, J. K. (2012). Neighborhood, poverty, and negative behavior: an examination of differential association and social control theory. Children and Youth Services Reivew, 34(5), 1035-1041. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.02.005

Mares, S. H., van der Vorst, H., Engels, R. C., & Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A. (2011). Parental alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and alcohol-specific attitudes, alcohol-specific communication, and adolescent excessive alcohol use and alcohol-related problems: An indirect path model. Addictive Behaviors, 36(3), 209-216. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.10.013

Steinberg, L. (2014). Adolescence. (10th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.