Edwin Sutherland's Differential Association Theory

The United States of America is often referred to as the “land of the free and the home of the brave” and the land of opportunity. Some people might say this is true, and others would have to disagree. The family and friends of the five unfortunate adolescents who received life in prison without parole, presented in “When Kids Get Life”, would beg to differ. Ironically, the United States is among the very few countries across the globe that permits 18 year olds and younger to be legally sentenced to life without parole. Over the course of the documentary “When Kids Get Life”, it becomes clear that there are multiple juveniles that live in unsafe atmospheres across the United States. This documentary specifically goes into detail of how five
According to Robert Agnew (2015), delinquency is learned through interaction and communication with others rather than a biological reason. This theory is a learning process that involves all of the mechanisms a child would utilize in order to learn either delinquent or non-delinquent behavior. Overall, Sutherland’s theory supports the fact that people usually obtain knowledge through nurture rather than nature. According to Sutherland, when a child is born, he or she doesn’t possess any desire to engage in delinquent acts. What makes the child commit these acts of delinquency, originates from the influence of their surrounding peers. If the child’s friends are committing illegal acts, then there is a high chance that particular association will result in the child committing the same exact delinquent
This 17 year old juvenile was charged with felony murder because he “accidentally” shot Matt Foley in the head. Trevor’s classmate Matt, planned on purchasing a gun off of the corrupted juvenile. Before the meet, Trevor planned on stealing Matt’s money and keeping the gun he said he was going to be selling. During the transaction, the gun discharged which resulted in the death of teenager Matt Foley. According to the courts, Trevor did not intend to kill his classmate. Regardless of what was going through his mind at the time, his act of manslaughter was considered to be worthy of a felony murder charge by the courts. Due to the fact that he received this serious charge, he was sentenced to life without parole because of his wrong