CRIMINAL
PSYCHOLOGY
,SOCIAL EXPLANATIONS
,Labelling theory- Becker
AO1
■ Crime an deviance is not defined by the act but by the label the behaviour is
given.
■ Context matters when defining a crime, such as the imprisoning of future
president Nelson Mandela
■ A person can be labelled as criminal due to their past actions and as a rsult
may become stigmatised in society
■ Labels are often based off evidence (behaviour or associations)
Retrospective labelling- based on past evidence of crimes
Projective labelling- predicting future actions/ crimes
, Labelling theory- Becker
AO2
A person commits vandalism and is arrested for it. They become labelled as a vandalist by society and the
police because of their actions (retrospective labelling).
They are also blamed for future vandalism related crimes whether they have committed it or not (projectiv
labelling).
As a result, they continue to commit crime because they will be blamed for it either way.
Another way of looking at it, would be if a person were labelled a criminal just because their friends are or
family are criminals.
Becker is suggesting that the deviance isn’t in the crime but in the label. In addition, the label effects
future behaviour of the person.
He uses the example of comparing the act of killing in two different contexts-
■ A person who kiils a civilian in society are labelled a murderer and they are the deviant.
■ A person who kills at war is labelled a hero and their victim is the deviant instead
PSYCHOLOGY
,SOCIAL EXPLANATIONS
,Labelling theory- Becker
AO1
■ Crime an deviance is not defined by the act but by the label the behaviour is
given.
■ Context matters when defining a crime, such as the imprisoning of future
president Nelson Mandela
■ A person can be labelled as criminal due to their past actions and as a rsult
may become stigmatised in society
■ Labels are often based off evidence (behaviour or associations)
Retrospective labelling- based on past evidence of crimes
Projective labelling- predicting future actions/ crimes
, Labelling theory- Becker
AO2
A person commits vandalism and is arrested for it. They become labelled as a vandalist by society and the
police because of their actions (retrospective labelling).
They are also blamed for future vandalism related crimes whether they have committed it or not (projectiv
labelling).
As a result, they continue to commit crime because they will be blamed for it either way.
Another way of looking at it, would be if a person were labelled a criminal just because their friends are or
family are criminals.
Becker is suggesting that the deviance isn’t in the crime but in the label. In addition, the label effects
future behaviour of the person.
He uses the example of comparing the act of killing in two different contexts-
■ A person who kiils a civilian in society are labelled a murderer and they are the deviant.
■ A person who kills at war is labelled a hero and their victim is the deviant instead
