Criminology Theory and Application: A Social Learning Perspective

This report analyzes the application of Akers' Social Learning Theory to the rehabilitation programs of Homeboy Industries, a non-profit organization located in Los Angeles, California. The organization focuses on helping gang members transition out of criminal lifestyles. The report begins by introducing Homeboy Industries, its mission, and its various programs, with a specific focus on the tattoo removal program. The core of the report then delves into Akers' Social Learning Theory, explaining how individuals learn behaviors through direct and vicarious reinforcement. The application section demonstrates how Homeboy Industries utilizes the theory to prevent recidivism. By removing tattoos, the organization eliminates a physical characteristic that can influence criminal behavior through vicarious reinforcement, thereby assisting individuals in changing their behavior and integrating into society. The report concludes that Homeboy Industries' tattoo removal program is an effective method for rehabilitating gang members based on Akers' social learning theory.

Running head - CRIMINOLOGY THEORY AND APPLICATION
Criminology Theory and Application
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1CRIMINOLOGY THEORY AND APPLICATION
Introduction
People have a hard time believing that they can change too depending on the given
circumstances as no one is born a criminal, something that is to be blamed is their upbringing
and the society that they are surrounded in (Cohen, 2017). The following report would be
discussing about an organization that have taken up the responsibility of changing these
goons into civilized so that they can fit in the society and the theory that is used to change
them. It would also provide a brief overview of the application of the theory.
Discussion
There are mainly people that have been helping in changing many kinds of criminals
into civilized people so that they could lead a normal life after serving their sentence at the
correction home or jail. The selected organization that have been taken up in the report is
Homeboy Industries (Lanier, 2018). The organization is located in Los Angeles, California.
The organization have been helping many gang members in changing their life and living like
a normal people. The organization started in the year 1988 and have been targeting many of
the lethal gang members as their client for the process of rehabilitation. The organization
provide these gang members a way out of the unlawful life style. Homeboy Industries have
been initiating many programs for helping these thugs in getting a new life and fitting in the
society for leading normal life. Programs like job training, parenting classes, and anger
management have been taken up by the organization. However, their most crucial program is
tattoo removal program. Tattoos have a negative impression in the society and closely related
to criminal organization. Thus, their tattoo removal program have been attracting members
from various gangs in the city.
Akers Social Theory

2CRIMINOLOGY THEORY AND APPLICATION
The theory that would be discussing in the report is Akers Social theory (Cruz, 2016).
The theory would be helping us understand why Homeboy Industry helps in preventing these
criminals from choosing their previous life again. The theory states that people could be
influenced via direct reinforcement, vicarious reinforcement or observation regarding their
actions. The theory also argues that people could change their action by looking forward to
idols and people who have similar characteristics like them, but have chosen a better life
ahead.
Application of the theory
Since the theory states that the main reasons why criminals commit their crimes is
through direct reinforcement, vicarious reinforcement, or simply through observation,
Homeboy Industries works closely together to ensure that this reinforcement is eliminated
altogether (Akers & Jennings, 2015). There are several rehabilitation programs which
Homeboy Industries undertakes. These include activities ranging from counselling to anger
management. However, one of the most important programs of this organization is tattoo
removal program. This is noteworthy in this regard since not every gangster is a criminal, but
is a potential criminal, who seems rehabilitation in this organization.
It is in this context that the organization tends to eliminate any sort of vicarious
reinforcement, which is a part of the social learning theory by Akers (Sellers & Akers, 2018).
It is pretty much believable that explicit and dense tattoos is a characteristic of violent
gangsters, mainly because this is how they are portrayed in the media, and therefore,
observing the acts of the others who have the same characteristics like having explicit tattoos,
can influence a person to acquire similar traits like committing violent crimes (Akers, 2017).
This is why by articulating programs like tattoo removal, the organization rather takes a
preventive measure to ensure that the people seeking rehabilitation do not have a physical

3CRIMINOLOGY THEORY AND APPLICATION
characteristic like an explicit tattoo, that could possibly influence criminalistic behavior. This
is helpful because not only would this ensure that the person erases the strong characteristic
of a gangster, but would also ensure that he or she is not influenced by people who have this
physical characteristic. The social learning theory by Akers states that the most important part
of social learning is influence. People get influenced in a variety of ways which prompt them
to act in certain ways, one of which is vicarious reinforcement. Therefore, this program
ensures that the gangsters do not have the characteristics which prompt them to follow those
with similar characteristics.
Conclusion
So as to conclude from the above discussion, it can be deducted that the tattoo
removal program of Homeboy Industries is an effective way to rehabilitate gangsters, as per
the social learning theory. This is because of the fact that the theory suggests that vicarious
learning is a part of social learning in criminals, and eliminating it is therefore effective in
eliminating the chances of the people following or getting influenced by people with similar
physical characteristics.

4CRIMINOLOGY THEORY AND APPLICATION
References
Akers, R. (2017). Social learning and social structure: A general theory of crime and
deviance. Routledge.
Akers, R. L., & Jennings, W. G. (2015). Social learning theory. The Handbook of
Criminological Theory, 4, 230.
Cohen, S. (2017). Against criminology. Routledge.
Cruz, C. A. (2016). Letting Go of Clecha, While Holding Corazón; Developing a New
Approach to Empowering Youth in Gangs the Homeboy Industries Way (Doctoral
dissertation).
Lanier, M. M. (2018). Essential criminology. Routledge.
Sellers, C. S., & Akers, R. L. (2018). Social learning theory: Correcting misconceptions.
In The essential criminology reader (pp. 89-99). Routledge.