Why do people decide to commit a crime? One explanation is provided by the Ronald Akers social learning theory. Akers took his ideas of criminal justice theory from other criminologists who also sought to answer this question. In basic terms, the theory states that if an individual is exposed to messages that promote crime as a beneficial process by people within their intimate circles of influence, then they are more likely to define certain criminal acts as a favorable choice.
This means the opposite can also be true. If an individual is provided a message that crime is a negative decision by those within their intimate circles, then they are more likely to see it as an unfavorable choice.
Yet learning doesn’t just stop there. Every relationship circle an individual has influences their decisions and perceptions in some way.
What Are the Circles of Relationships of Each Person?
Under the Circles concept of relationship, each person has six circles of intimacy which dictates their actions in how they treat people. The closer the circle happens to be, then there will be a greater influential effect on the learning for that person. Here are the six circles to consider.
- Private. This circle is reserved for the individual alone. It may also include a spouse or intimate partner.
- Hug Circle. This circle is primarily reserved for family members only. It would be sisters, brothers, parents, children, or grandparents.
- Far Away Hug Circle. This is the circle where our friends happen to be.
- Handshake Circle. This is the circle where we place our acquaintances. It would be where co-workers might be placed or people you know of in the community, but do not know very well – like your mail carrier.
- Wave Circle. This circle is reserved for people that you have met, but know nothing about them besides maybe their name or what they do for a living.
- Stranger Circle. The outermost circle is reserved for those we do not know at all.
The Circles program offers this statement as a way to summarize the differences between these different boundaries. “It is okay to hug your mother. It’s not okay to hug the mail carrier.”
Under the social learning theory, any circle has the ability to influence the chances of committing a criminal act. The highest levels of influence will come from the private circle or the hug circle. The least amount of influence comes from the stranger circle. It is important to note, however, that “influence” is very different than “choice.”
Each person chooses deviant behaviors or conforming behaviors. It is possible for influences in any circle to be ignored.
How the Social Learning Theory Explains Why People Can Change
In today’s world, we talk a lot about how people can become “radicalized.” The blame is often placed on individuals who are espousing a certain idea, theology, or approach to the world that encourages criminal behavior. This behavior is then learned by the recipient, encouraged to grow, and eventually leads to a criminal act because an attitude has been rationalized.
At its core level, however, criminal behavior is really just an expression of a general need or general value. Those needs or values are not explained by the criminal behavior. This is because conforming behaviors follow the same pattern.
This means criminal tendencies are influenced through operant conditions or differential reinforcement. Through a system of rewards or consequences that occur with each choice made, an individual is reinforced in their beliefs regarding conformity or criminal behavior that was initially started by some level of influence within their circles of intimacy.
People change, therefore, when they allow their circles to change. Allowing a stranger into the hug circle, an individual who might see criminal behavior as positive or “fun,” creates an influence that can promote change within an individual.
External factors can also have influence on an individual if they have allowed those factors to be within their closer circles. Someone who sees their country within the hug circle, for example, might feel the need to protect people by attacking a specific person or group of individuals because of a perceived threat to the welfare of their nation.
How Social Learning Theory Can Help Us Understand Each Other
Ronald Akers has redefined his social learning theory several times over the past 50 years so that we can today understand that are ideas of criminal behavior or conformity are just as much cognitive as they are based on levels of influence.
This is why engaging with those who are in our closest circles can promote positive choices. Yet, at the end of the day, it is up to each person to decide on their own what their actions are going to be.