Neutralization Theory free essay sample

The neutralization theory holds that people learn the values, attitude and techniques to criminal behavior through hidden values. They also argue that most criminals are not always involved with crime; they would actually drift from on behavior to another, sometimes deviant and sometimes conventional. David Matza was born on May 1, 1930 in New York City. He received his B. A at the College of New York. In addition, he received his M. A Ph. D at the University of Princeton. Matza proposed that people live their lives on a range somewhere between freedom and restraint. This development is by which a person drifts from one behavior to another, he called is drifting. He mainly focused on juvenile delinquency. Matza argued that delinquents drift between conventional and unconventional behavior. What does this mean? It means that people drift when they sense guilt, they developed a technique of neutralization so the avoid feeling guilty. We will write a custom essay sample on Neutralization Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Gresham Sykes, an American criminologist. Sykes was born on May 26, 1922; earned his bachelors of Art at Princeton University and a Ph. D. at Northwestern University. Sykes taught at Universities such as Dartmouth, Princeton and Northwestern before becoming a professor of sociology at the University of Virginia. Sykes and Matza claimed that delinquents use techniques of excuses to neutralize their deviant behavior. One of the motions of using these methods is that an individual is able to protect his or her self-concept while committing delinquent acts. In 1978, Sykes and Matza wanted to expand Sutherland theory of differential association, which is summarized as: criminal or delinquent ehavior involves the learning of (a) techniques of committing crime and (b) motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes favorable to the violation of law (Sykes Matza, p. 664). Sutherland argued that an individual could be skilled to follow patterns of criminal performance. To expand their theory of neutralization Matza and Sykes came up with five techniques of neutralization. The denial of responsibility â€Å"I didn’t mean it; it wasn’t my fa ult†. This occurs when an individual asserts the delinquent act but to outside forces their acts are beyond their control. The deviant believes he was helplessly driven into deviance, and under the same circumstances any other person would have done the same actions. An example is when they view their deviance as an accident or see themselves as a victim. â€Å"I beat him up because he started, he was harassing me and calling me names, so he started it† The denial of the Injury â€Å"No harm, no foul†. Criminal law has made a distinction between crimes that are wrong in themselves and acts that are illegal but not immoral, and the delinquent can make the same kind of distinction in evaluating the wrongfulness of his behavior (Sykes Matza, 1957, p. 67). The deviant uses this technique to convince themselves and their accuser that their deviation was inoffensive, leading to no real damage. Their excuse usually comes in the form of it wasnt wrong because no one got hurt. An example is when the deviant considers vandalism mischief or gang fighting a private quarrel, or driving drunk done all in good fun simply because they did not hit anyone. For example when a homosexual is attacked, the deviant is not wrong because the person claims is a form of right revenge or punishment. The condemnation of the condemners â€Å"Everybody does it; you have no right to judge me; they are just as bad†. The delinquent shifts the focus of attention from his own deviant acts to the motives and behaviors of those who disapprove of his violations (Sykes Matza, 1957, p. 668). Deviants say that other people have no right to judge. They will often accuse others by being hypocrites, and have done the same or worse themselves. The offender sees the world as a corrupt place, a dog-eat-dog code. Police are hypocrites because they are dishonest and crooked; they are looking for delinquents when they are just as guilty. The appeal to higher loyalties â€Å"My friends depended on me, what was I going to do?! ; Only cowards back down†. Internal and external social controls may be neutralized by sacrificing the demands of the larger society for the demands of the smaller groups to which the delinquent belongs such as the sibling pair, the gang, or the friendship clique (Sykes Matza, 1957, p. 69). The deviant feels he/she must break the law to benefit their family or small group. The technique comes into play when the delinquent gets in trouble for protecting or helping someone, what they did was by far more important than to follow the norms of society. I had to help my friend beat up that guy, or else he would have gotten hurt! Wouldnt you do the same thing? They suggest the act was for the greater good that would justify their actions. Now let me emerge these five techniques in one case. On January 17, 2000, Sckeena Marbury, her sister Lakeisha Wilson-Bey and six other women killed Tomika Blackwell. It was concluded on the case that this was an act of revenge. Marbury and he sister were sentences to 36 years in prison for the murder. The night of January 17, 2000 According to Marbury, Blackwell unfairly attacked her, she told her sister and hours later Marbury, Wilson and six other friends went to Blackwell’s apartment and killed her with a butcher knife and two baseball bats. Denial of responsibility in this case is used the actions were beyond their control. Although she did not tell her sister and friends she had picked up a fight and lost, she instead claimed she was unfairly attacked. The denial of the injury can’t really be explained since someone was clearly hurt. The Denial of the victim can be explained since Marbury lied to her sister and six friends stating that she was unfairly attacked, they believed Blackwell had it coming and she deserved what she got. The appeal to higher loyalties, the women felt it was their duty as a friend and family to defend Marbury. The loyalty to each other’s friendship was greater than the punishment they would get. In conclusion, these women may not be labeled as hardened criminals, or have previously killed anyone. But they believed the killing was justified and they neutralized the crime. These techniques allow them to neutralize and suspend their commitment to societal values, providing them with the freedom to commit. Sykes and Matza based their theoretical model on the following four observations; 1. Delinquents express guilt over illegal acts. 2. Delinquents frequently respect and admire honest, law- abiding individuals. 3. A line is drawn between those whom they can victimize and those they cannot. 4. Delinquents will propose that he/she is a victim of circumstance and that he/she is pushed or pulled into situations beyond his/her control (it wasn’t my fault)† Matza went further into his theory; he theorized the juveniles drift from orthodox to delinquent behavior. He claimed that once the crime is committed the delinquent feels culpability and must balance their performance by returning to act in a law-abiding manner. He also explained how the will of committing a crime when preparation and desperation where present. Preparation happens when a criminal act is constant, once the delinquent realizes the criminal act can be achieved and is possible. Desperation occurs when the feeling of being helpless and it encourages them to take control. .