Scholars of cybercrime have used social learning theory (SLT) and routine activities theory (RAT) to explain the variation in offending and victimization; however, to date, only RAT has been used to explain the specific behavior of cyberbullying. Therefore, this study combines SLT and RAT concepts to explain the cyberbullying phenomenon. Today's adolescents are exposed early to cyberspace and this has given them more opportunities to bully their peers, especially in an environment that is difficult to monitor by adults. The results from this study of a sample of Southeastern middle and high school students suggest that the opportunity component of RAT explains both cyberbullying victimization and offending, and the differential association component of SLT increases youths' likelihood of offending. Additionally, the findings suggest a correlation between victimization and offending. The results also show that the differential association-opportunity interaction increases the likelihood of offending, but the relationship was not statistically significant.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Jan. 22, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-71).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-128).

This study examined the influence of social control and differential association on an individual\'s alcohol consumption.  It was hypothesized that the four bonds of social control: attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief will decrease the likelihood of engaging in excessive drinking behaviors (Hirschi 1969). Hawdon\'s (1996) revised version of involvement that accounts for differences in the visibility of activities will be used instead of the traditional idea of involvement. This study compared the drinking behavior of college and non-college students. It was also hypothesized that having peer groups that engage in excessive drinking behaviors will influence the amount of alcohol that an individuals consume, because they are attempting to remain a part of that peer group (Sutherland 1947). This study used the Add Health  data set to tests these hypotheses. / Master of Science

Unga Vuxna utanför arbete eller studier är ett fenomen som växer både nationellt- och internationellt vilket gör att det därmed krävs mer forskning för att skapa bättre åtgärder för dessa grupper. Denna studie har visat att konsekvenser som psykisk ohälsa i form av depression och svårigheter med att etablera sig på arbetsmarknaden är förekommande konsekvenser för Unga vuxna utanför arbete eller studier. För denna studie har semistrukturerade intervjuer utförts där tematisering av ämnet har skett. Med hjälp av den metoden har studien kunnat fokusera på ett delområde, konsekvenser i och med att intervjufrågorna förblev de samma för alla tre intervjuerna har en jämförelse i analysen bland svaren kunnat ske i studien. Studiens tre teorier differential association, anomiteorin och stigma har möjliggjort en koppling till lett resultat och diskussion. Denna studie har även påvisat att ytterligare forskning är nödvändig för att få en ökad förståelse över detta fenomen samt för att möjliggöra individuella kartläggningar av barns behov för att sedan kunna tillsätta rätt åtgärd.

Social learning theory (Akers, 1973, 1977, 1985, 1998; Burgess & Akers, 1966) is an established general theory of criminal, deviant, and conforming behavior that finds substantial empirical support (e.g., Akers, Krohn, Lanza-Kaduce & Radosevich, 1979; Akers, La Greca, Cochran & Sellers, 1989; Alarid, Burton & Cullen, 2000; Krohn, Skinner, Massey & Akers, 1985). Although the theory provides insight into the processes that influence criminal behavior, the theory does not speak to the environments that produce such behavior--the domain of structural theories. Akers (1998) has suggested that social learning theory accounts for differences in crime rates through its mediation of structural effects on individual criminal behavior. He postulated that social structure acts as the distal cause of crime, affecting an individual's exposure to norm and norm-violating contingencies through the social learning process. Although the integrated cross level social structure-social learning theory (Akers, 1998) has received empirical attention, criminologists have not adequately tested the model (Akers, 1998; Bellair, Roscigno, & Vélez, 2003; Lanza-Kaduce & Capece, 2003; Lee, 1998; Lee, Akers & Borg, 2004). Akers (1999) and colleagues (Lee et al., 2004) have suggested that future research should test models that incorporate broader social structural measures, especially those derived theoretically. The present research contributes to the theoretical body of literature through its more complete measurement of the macrosocial correlates and theoretically defined structural causes dimensions posited by Akers (1998). Secondly, the study introduces possible linkages between social structure and the social learning process in an attempt to address the concerns of Krohn (1999), who suggested that the theory does not adequately do so, and Sampson (1999), who suggested that the theory is incapable of producing a priori, refutable macrosocial propositions. Although finding a relationship between social structure and social learning, the study finds no support for Akers' (1998) use of the mediation descriptor. Instead, the present research finds support for several moderator hypotheses, concluding that the social structure-social learning statement requires modification.

Unauthorized computer access by employees is the most common hacking behavior in every company. Hence, it is necessary to first understand why an employee engages to commit it and then find effective methods of prevention to reduce the crime rate. Many studies on computer hacking has discussed the reasons for the behavior, for example: neutralization theory, differential association theory and containment theory. However, those theories and perspectives were adopted independently in past research. In this study, we combine those perspectives and create an integrated model to explain the employee¡¦s intention to commit unauthorized computer access. Data collected from 351employees in Taiwan confirmed our hypotheses and were tested against the research model. The results support the theoretical model in explaining how neutralization theory and containment theory may affect an employee¡¦s intention to commit unauthorized computer access. Finally, we found that neutralization is the most important factor to take into account when organizations develop and implement security policies or education which can decrease employees¡¦ intentions to commit unauthorized computer access.

This study examined the potential moderating effects that the fear of falling may have on potential white-collar crime perpetrators using rational choice and differential association theory perspectives. A self-report, factorial survey measurement tool utilizing three hypothetical vignettes placing respondents in a business situation with the potential to commit insider trading was given to 612 students at a Midwestern university. Results indicate that the fear of falling had no moderating effects, differential association theory was partially supported in Vignette 1, and rational choice theory was partially supported across all three vignettes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of long term imprisonment on inmates. Our prime interest have ben to identify if eventual effects are considered positive or negative or even a combination of the two. To answer these questions we conducted observations of convicts in a high security prison in Sweden. The collected data were followed by interviews with individuals who have spent considerable time behind bars. We discovered several different behavioral effects whilst conducting our study. Most of them indicated negatively by alienating and suppressing the individual's development, distancing them further away from the community. Inmates tend to alter their behavior substantially when being locked up for longer periods of time in small places with other criminals. Hence their identities change to fit into the environment. Some individuals develop communicational skills to adapt and manage their lifestyle in prison. In general, incarcerated individuals develop special social skills that are crucially needed in prison environment but tend to be redundant in the social community. Key words - differential association, social bonds, communication, identity / Sammanfattning Vi genomförde denna studie i syfte att utreda vilka tänkbara effekter ett långt fängelsestraff skulle kunna ha på den enskilda individen. En aktuell fråga för oss har därför varit huruvida fängelsestraffet genererar positiva eller negativa effekter på den enskilde eller möjligen en kombination av båda. För att undersöka detta har vi genomfört intervjuer och en observation av intagna på en säkerhetsanstalt i Sverige. Vi lyckades utifrån vårt studiematerial identifiera främst negativa effekter vilka indikerade på att individen distanserar sig allt längre ifrån samhället. Klienterna uppvisade bland annat beteenden och identitetsförändringar som riktade sig bort ifrån det rådande samhällets normer. Detta förväntades bero på att de intagna anpassat sig till livet i fängelset och på så sätt ersatt sina sociala färdigheter till den aktuella miljön. Vissa klienter har utvecklat nya sätt att kommunicera på genom den interaktionen som skett med andra intagna. Den kommunikationen symboliserades främst av ett känslolöst och tufft språkbruk vilket krävs för att klara sig på anstalten. Slutsatsen som vi kunnat ta utifrån vår studie är att det förekommer negativa effekter av ett långt frihetsberövande. Däremot konstaterade vi att det behövs mer forskning inom området för att dra konkreta slutsatser. Nyckelord - differentiell association, sociala band, kommunikation, identitet