Explanations of crime
The Self-fulfilling
prophecy
You must be able to describe and
evaluate both Social Learning
Theory and Self fulfilling Prophecy
as an explanation for anti-social
behaviour/criminal activity.
Labelling
When
something is
expected of an
individual by
others it
becomes true.
The
problem is
that if
someone is
given a
label…
They may
well live up
to that
label.
Society may label
people according to
education, parents,
race, social class
etc.
In pairs list some labels we give to different
groups (in terms of criminal activity) and
discuss what affect this may have on them.
The affect of labels/labelling:
1. Labels can affect an individuals self concept
(how we see ourselves) and lead to SFP.
2. Labels can affect the way others treat you
and may lead to SFP
3. Society may label people according to the
way others treat you and this may lead to
SFP.
Labelling is linked to
SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY
We become what people expect us to become
… and so a negative belief predicts a negative behaviour
If a teacher thinks you will fail in an exam you probably
will!
Smith and Mackie (2000) …SFP is
“The process by which one
person’s expectations about
another become reality by
eliciting behaviours that confirm
those expectations”.
Are you like your zodiac sign?
Is this true of you?
Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
Gustav Jahoda (1954)
Studied delinquent rates among the Ashanti in
Western Africa.
They usually chose names for boys according to
the day of the week they are born.
Traditionally the Ashanti believe the soul or Kra
of ‘Monday’ boys is quiet and placid. These boys
are called Kwadwo.
The Kra of boys born on a ‘Wednesday’ was
believed to be aggressive and short tempered
and these boys are called Kwadku.
Records of a local juvenile court (that covered a five
year period) showed that
22% of violent offences were committed by the
‘Wednesday’ boys,
6.9% by ‘Monday’ boys.
This provides support for the Self-fulfilling prophecy
effect as the Wednesday boys were expected to act
in violent aggressive ways so internalized this
expectation and behaved in this way.
Evaluating Jahoda (1954)
A strength of this study is that it was a
naturalistic study where variables were not
manipulated.
The data came from official court records and
was therefore valid, making this study quite
credible in supporting the theory.
Behaviour only becomes criminal
when society labels it so e.g. Graffiti,
Cannabis use, homosexuality etc
“A label overrides other
characteristics e.g. a
mother, or worker but
becomes known as a
‘deviant’”.
Becker (1963)
Self Fulfilling Prophecy
Prophecy
Is set
Expectation
Prophecy
is fulfilled
WE TEND TO LIVE UP TO THE LABEL WE
ARE GIVEN
Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) studied self-fulfilling
prophecy in a classroom: Pygmalion in the classroom.
Teachers were allowed to overhear a conversation at the
beginning of the year that identified 20 children in the
class as ‘late developers’ about to ‘spurt’. The teachers
believed this was based on an IQ test done, but it was
random. At the end of the year, those 20 children did
indeed have improved IQ scores, and continued to for 2
years.
The ‘prophecy’ came true because the teachers responded
differently to them (more feedback etc).
What are the moral and ethical issues here?
Remember the rules for Applying a theory (SOAC)
State your theory
SFP explaining WHY PEOPLE TURN TO CRIME
A form of labelling.
• Based on the idea that an observer’s beliefs of expectations about
a person or group influence their social interactions, and therefore
elicits or creates the expected behaviour. (Merton, 1948).
A form of stereotyping
• The observer’s beliefs are based on their schemas or stereotypes
relating to that group or individual
• They will tend more to notice, and even seek behaviour that
conforms to their expectations, and ignore that which doesn’t.
This then acts as reinforcement of their opinion. (Selective social
interaction).
Outline
What exactly is SFP and what factors
affect the way that it works
• It works better IF
– More than one person holds the same expectation
– When those expecting someone to behave in a certain
way, and those behaving are not familiar to each other.
– The expected behaviour is not far different from the
individual’s normal behaviour.
– The expectation is negative 
• It does not work IF
– The person with the expected behaviour of the individual
is of low power.
Apply (be specific)
How SFP may be applied to explanations of
criminal behaviour?
1. When observers expect anti-social behaviour, they seek to
confirm their expectations by looking for specific types of
behaviours or attitudes
2. The observed may then behave in anti-social ways due to
the encouragement provided for it. They may develop
negative self-belief (that they are not capable of better
behaviour).
3. The pressure to conform to expectations, and the feeling
that any pro-social behaviour is ignored means any effort to
change is pointless.
Check you have answered the question
See work sheets in pack
Complete in this order
• 16
• 15
• 17
Evaluation of SFP as an explanation for
criminal activity – use your work sheet
to identify strengths & weaknesses
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
Exam question
1. What is meant by the term Self fulfilling
prophecy? (4 marks)
2. Discuss how far SFP can be used as an
explanation of anti Social behaviour.
(8 marks)
3. Discuss how SFP may account for some
instances of crime. (8 marks)
Extension
• Compare social learning theory with ONE
OTHER explanation of anti-social behaviour.
Identify the explanation in your answer.
Comparisons include similarities and
differences (3)