Researchers investigated patterns of anti-social behaviour among young people who regularly frequented a local urban recreation park. They observed that newer, younger members of the peer groups quickly adopted the specific techniques for graffiti-tagging and shoplifting practiced by the older members. Furthermore, interviews with some local residents and youth workers revealed that minor vandalism and shoplifting were often dismissed as "harmless teenage rebellion" and "a survival strategy in a tough area."
Describe differential association theory as an explanation of offending. Refer to the research description above in your answer.
28 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Psychological explanations of offending. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.