Labelling Theory: Understanding Crime and Deviance

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of the labelling theory by Howard S. Becker and its relevance in the study of crime and deviance. It explores the concepts of primary and secondary deviance and discusses the influence of societal labels on individual behavior. The essay also highlights the role of parents in shaping behavior and the impact of positive reinforcement.

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LABELLING THEORY
Name
Institution
Date

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The labelling theory by Howard S. Becker was a key feature of representative interactionism
which was mainly known as the dramatization of evil. This essay profoundly summaries the
significant facets of the theory as well as the involvement in the crime and deviance studies, primarily
due to the change in unconventional crime rates and deviance studies and the transition to the present
process of criminal activities. This is the reason, labelling theory propounded by Howard S. Becker is
more concerned with the results that are produced by the criminal activities rather than focusing on
the root cause of the crime. The theory denounced that positivism as the labelling outlook was
fundamental in that it identified the root cause of crime linking them with societies and significant
institutions. Despite the theory being satirical and disputable in the way it originated (Akers). It fails
to identify the reasons that lead to the individual turning to criminal activities. The reasons can be
contributed as the family pressure, the opinions of the people who surround the individual and the
sanctions of the law (Burke).
The basic features of the labelling theory are explained through primary deviance and
secondary deviance. Primary deviance talks about the original actions of deviance by a person which
in return has to face trivial penalties for the position or affiliation that he occupies in the world. The
idea at the back of this perception is that many individuals commit infringement of laws as well as
compel actions of deviance during the course of their lives. Nevertheless, these findings are not
adequate as they do not cause the classification of individuals as illegal by both the society and by
themselves since it is regarded as typical to engage in such sorts of behavioral patterns. For instance,
speeding would make a perfect example of a practice which is theoretically illegal but it does not
result in labelling by the society (Farrington, David and Murray)
Consequently, the usage of marijuana for recreational purposes by individuals is also another
excellent example of primary deviance. It is through these examples that primary deviance is

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described as the preliminary phase of outlining wrong actions by the individual as willingly
committed criminal activities. Throughout society, this is a very corporate action since almost every
individual participates in a rudimentary form of desecration. In this particular feature, there is no
consequence to a deviant individual since no one adopts a nonstandard identification; hence people do
not change their original ideas to embrace the abnormal identity.
Secondary deviance only comes to existence when the behavior of the individual is labelled
and branded by the society. Therefore, in primary deviance an individual takes part in actions that do
not result in the adoption of any deviant labels. Parents have a significant influence in shaping the
behaviors of their children during the years they enter the age of puberty. During this phase the first
acts, ethics, and principles are cultured and implemented and experienced by the individual. Parental
guidance is intended to frame and outline the actions that make people eligible to function
appropriately in society. Parental support to reinforce positive behavior comes in different ways such
as affection, appreciation, reassurance, and love (Taylor et al.)
Nevertheless, those are not the only ways can be used to curb the wrong actions from
developing and arising in the individuals. Parents and guardians are expected to administer
operational discipline, observation and methods for solving problems that are experienced by the
individuals. People from homes where positive behavior is applied and whose unusual actions are not
punished applicably have higher chances to participate in wrong acts. Creating active parent and
children bonds is indispensable to the groups the children select and link with. Without positive
behavior reinforcement in a child’s life, it becomes easy for them to link up with peers with aberrant
behaviors and indulge in wrong activities (Flynn et al.)
Secondary deviance is another feature of the labelling theory and is considered as the
origination, assortment and philosophy management that describes behavior in undesirable ways as

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well as assorting people into these groupings. The main suggestion of this theory is that deviance is a
result of labelling the behavior of an individual as ethically mediocre, making the person to adopt the
label and eventually behave in accordance to the label that is given to them by the society. Over time,
individuals labelled as deviants adapt specific mannerisms which define deviance by obliging to the
eccentricities and fitting in the label. Therefore, people have the power to bring an end to a rise in
deviance behavior before its occurrence by avoiding labels. The obsession of the label by society and
individuals make the deviant person to abide by a prophecy which is rather self-fulfilling hence
following the attributed label to the core. Becker infers that actions of deviance are non-existent and
the behaviors only turn out to be deviant due to people’s observation and classification of behavior as
deviant. Society came up with deviance by creating rules which when violated would establish a form
of deviant behavior. Hence, primarily using the rules to specific individuals and then classifying them
as strangers who are classified from the society (Taylor et al.)
The labelling theory is emblematically interactionist with various rudiments of conflict theory
since the prevailing group has authority over making decisions about the notions of what is abnormal
and tolerable within the structure of the society hence, taking pleasure in the process of creating labels.
For example, the prison and correction system brands individuals acquitted with theft which they
adapt and identify themselves with the characterization of thieves who have no capability to turn their
behaviors around. From this perspective, Becker describes deviance as a result of the submission of a
particular group of people to rules and authorizations created by the larger part of the society to a
deviant rather than the magnitude of the action committed by the deviant. Therefore, the behavior is
only referred to as deviant and unlawful only when it is described and impeded by particular
individuals in definite circumstance (Farrington, David and Murray)

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Finally, noting the outstanding point that the world is not always right whenever it comes to
labelling an individual and his actions is imperative since it creates made-up misrepresentations and
identification of individuals as deviants by ascribing them individualities they do not actually possess.
Legally, individuals are wrongly indicted making a greater population to live with the stigmatization
of conviction forever. Similarly, society often uses the employment of double standards where some
areas revel in favoritism. For instance, some actions from a particular grouping may seem faultlessly
suitable and can be disregarded easily while others are viewed as detestable by the same people.

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Works cited
Akers, Ronald L. Criminological theories: Introduction and evaluation. Routledge, 2013.
Burke, Roger Hopkins. An introduction to criminological theory. Willan, 2017.
Farrington, David P., and Joseph Murray, eds. Labeling theory: Empirical tests. Vol. 1.
Transaction Publishers, 2013.
Flynn, Catherine, Bronwyn Naylor, and Paula Fernandez Arias. "Responding to the needs of children
of parents arrested in Victoria, Australia. The role of the adult criminal justice system." Australian &
New Zealand Journal of Criminology 49.3 (2016): 351-369.
Taylor, Ian, Paul Walton, and Jock Young. The new criminology: For a social theory of deviance.
Routledge, 2013.