Aggression: Sociological Theories

Social Disorganization Theory

One of the persistent features of violence is that much of it occurs in the same neighborhoods, generation after generation. Although a variety of cultures and nationalities may have passed through these neighborhoods, violence and crime remain consistent features. These high-crime neighborhoods are characterized by low social economic status, mobility (people moving in and out), and ethnic heterogeneity (residents of varied cultural backgrounds). Consequently, early 20thcentury theorists connected with the sociology department at the University of Chicago speculated that the social disorganization of the community contributed more to the production of crime and violence than did the motivation of individuals. By strengthening the institutions of the community such as schools and recreational centers, it was believed that crime could be successfully addressed.

Criminal Learning Theory

According to sociologist Edwin Sutherland's theory of differential association, crime is learned from parents, peers, society, and especially from friends. Crime and violence are more likely to be learned from deviant peers than from law-abiding ones. When criminal behavior is learned, the education includes not only the motivation for committing the crime but also the [Page 20]techniques, rationalizations, and attitudes that allow one to believe that the crime is necessary or desirable. The likelihood that crime is learned is mediated by the frequency of criminal associations, the intensity of the relationships, when the relationship happens (priority), and how long the relationships last (duration). Consequently, the more contact on has with undesirable associates, the more likely one is to learn criminal behavior. Parents are constantly screening their children's friends to ensure that their children are not being exposed to values and attitudes that favor the commission of criminal or violent behaviors.

Strain Theory

Strain theory is a perspective developed by Robert Merton that suggests that individuals experience frustration or strain from their inability to realize their aspirations. Merton says that in the United States, there is a cultural goal of material wealth and that people are judged by their economic well-being. The approved cultural means to this goal of wealth demand that we work hard, delay gratification, and play by the rules. Some individuals experience strain when they find racism, class biases, or other structural barriers systematically blocking the culturally approved means to their goals.

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