Labelling Theory and Crime

Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.

• identifies a first idea, e.g. deviance is created through social reaction rather than being a quality of the act itself1 mark
• develops this, e.g. using Becker's argument that an act only becomes deviant once rules and sanctions are applied to it by others1 mark
• identifies a second idea, e.g. the self-fulfilling prophecy1 mark
• develops this, e.g. once labelled, an individual may internalise the label as a master status and begin to act in ways that confirm it, producing secondary deviance1 mark

Nothing ticked yet - 4 available

Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.

• Award up to 8 marks for a response that identifies and explains relevant points, supported by sociological evidence.2 marks
• 1-2 marks: identifies that police officers use stereotypes, or 'typifications', of the 'typical delinquent', often linked to Cicourel's research, when deciding who to stop or arrest.2 marks
• 1-2 marks: explains that individuals who fit this stereotype are more likely to be labelled, regardless of their actual level of offending compared with others.1 mark
• 1-2 marks: uses sociological evidence, e.g. Jock Young's study of hippie marijuana users, to show that being labelled and treated as deviant pushed the group towards a more extreme, secretive lifestyle and further offending, i.e. deviancy amplification.1 mark
• 1-2 marks: explains the self-fulfilling prophecy mechanism directly, e.g. the individual internalises the label as a master status and begins to act in ways that confirm it.1 mark
• Full marks require clear explanation linked to named sociological evidence rather than unsupported assertion.1 mark

Nothing ticked yet - 8 available

Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.

• Detailed and accurate knowledge of labelling theory and at least one alternative view. Builds a developed, well-evidenced argument on both sides using named sociologists, and reaches a clear, substantiated conclusion.2 marks
• Accurate knowledge of labelling theory with named evidence and some reference to an alternative explanation, but the argument or evaluation is less fully developed.2 marks
• Some appropriate knowledge of labelling theory but the answer may be one-sided or lack named sociological evidence.2 marks
• Basic, undeveloped knowledge with little clear reference to labelling or named sociological theory.2 marks
• No creditable response.1 mark
• Lemert's distinction between primary and secondary deviance shows how being caught and labelled can push someone towards further offending; Jock Young's study of hippie marijuana users shows labelling amplifying deviance in practice; a criminal record and master status can restrict access to legitimate employment, making further offending more likely on release from custody.1 mark
• labelling theory does not explain the original, primary act of deviance, so it cannot be the whole explanation of crime; not everyone who is labelled goes on to reoffend, so the self-fulfilling prophecy is not automatic; functionalists and right realists would argue individual choice, weak informal social control, or blocked legitimate opportunities (Merton's strain theory) better explain why people offend in the first place, regardless of labelling.1 mark
• a strong answer concludes that labelling can clearly worsen and prolong offending for some individuals through the self-fulfilling prophecy, but it works alongside, rather than instead of, structural causes of the original offending behaviour, so labelling alone is an incomplete explanation of crime.1 mark

Nothing ticked yet - 12 available