ABSTRACT
The idea that there are social controls requires that the individual accepts those controls, requiring self-control and a conscience in which the norms of society are internalised. Human activity is shaped by experience, especially through interactions with others. Offending behaviour is no different. Consequently, a wide range of explanations for causes of crime relate to social processes. The view that both behaviour and the attitudes, and conceptualisations that support those actions, are learned, as well as the appropriateness of particular actions in given situations, requires a more detailed consideration of how that learning occurs. Operant conditioning stresses the influences of environmental consequences on behaviour. Thousands of studies show that behaviour is acquired through positive reinforcement or the withdrawal of the reward. From the earliest studies of criminality, it was recognised that crime commonly runs in families. A number of studies have drawn attention to how the relationships between the parents and their children influence delinquency.
