Label Theory
...the labeling theory to be a hard theory to measure. It is hard to measure if a label becomes the cause for a person to become delinquent. Is it the label or some other factors? This paper will go into detail about some of the main contributors to the labeling theory. It will explain how the contributors applied the labeling theory. This paper will also explain how the labeling theory grew into what it is today. And it will summarize two empirical articles of the labeling theory.
Many labeling theorists believe that labeling and reacting to offenders as criminals has dangers consequences and it helps deepen the criminal behavior and making the crime problem worse. They believe that the criminal justice system is dangerous in the sense that it is casting the net of social control too widely. Labeling theorist is concern with how the self identity and behavior of an individual is influenced by how that person is label and portrayed by others in society, and just like "beauty, deviance is seen in the eyes of the beholder. There is nothing inherently deviant in any human act, something is deviant only because some people have been successful in labeling it so (Jerry Simmons 1969,Liqun Cao pg134)."
The labeling theory originated from sociology and criminology and many people believe that the labeling theory focuses on the negative consequences of stigmatizing the individuals who are labeled as criminal, delinquent, and or deviant. The labeling theory also, focuses on how the majority tends to negatively label minorities or those people who are seen as deviant from the norms of society. The labeling theory was real prominent in the mid 1960's and early 1970's, because of the rapid social change of that time era. Instead of asking who is a deviant or criminal, labeling theory sees it as always a process of interaction between at least two kinds of...
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