Companions in Crime The Social Aspects of Criminal Conduct [Paperback]

The principal thesis of Companions in Crime is that deviant behavior is predominantly social behavior.The idea of peer influence as a cause of delinquency has been around at least since the 1930s, when Edwin Sutherland offered his theory of differential association. Although that theory and similar ones remain popular and have strong empirical support, more recent theories reject the idea of peer influence altogether. This book surveys the research literature on peer influence, shows that most offenders are imbedded in a network of friends and accomplices, and describes numerous possible mechanisms of peer influence.The idea of peer influence as a cause of delinquency has been around at least since the 1930s, when Edwin Sutherland offered his theory of differential association. Although that theory and similar ones remain popular and have strong empirical support, more recent theories reject the idea of peer influence altogether. This book surveys the research literature on peer influence, shows that most offenders are imbedded in a network of friends and accomplices, and describes numerous possible mechanisms of peer influence.The idea of peer influence as a cause of delinquency has been around since the 1930s, when Edwin Sutherland offered his theory of differential association. Although that theory and similar ones remain popular and have strong empirical support, more recent theories reject the idea completely. This book surveys the research literature on peer influence, reveals that most offenders are imbedded in a network of friends and accomplices, and describes numerous possible mechanisms of peer influence.1. Introduction; 2. Peers in the life course; 3. The group character of crime and delinquency; 4. Peers and delinquent conduct; 5. Applying peer explanations of delinquency; 6. Conclusion. Warr examines key questions concerning the relationship between peer influence and delinquent/criminal behavior. He develops in a systematic and sophisticated fashl#&