MODERN LABELLING THEORY OF CRIME

TANNEN BAUM- (1938)

• Tagging ,defining, identifying, segregating and describing

criminals by labelling

• Labelling helpful intreatment of offenders

LEMERT- (1951)

• To label offenders as persons with primary deviance and

secondary deviance
• Primary deviance- they do not see
themselves as deviance
• Secondary deviance- they accept their
deviant status
• Primary deviance- arises out of biological,
psychological and sociological reasons
• Secondary deviance- caused by social
reaction to primary deviation
• Social reaction has direct bearing on these
two deviant types
• Being a criminal- becomes a matter of
status for these deviants
• Societies create crime by enacting laws.

Ditton(1979):
Labelling theories which focus on state
power to control crime are considered
branches of contology.
They treat criminal justice agencies- part of
social control mechanisms.
-Education, mental health,mass
media-used by the state for crime
control.
-Ultimate goal- to control
troublesome population of criminals.
John Braithwaite:
- Reintegrative theory on social
control- called as shaming
- Bringing offender back into
society.
- Disintegrative social control-
 5
• Victims difficult to return back to society.
• They are branded as criminals.
Reintegrating shaming:
- To decertify offenders as deviant
- In modern civilized societies- increase in
deviants
- To give oppurtunities to shun deviant role and
back as normal citizens.
• Howard Backer (1963):
• Theory of labelling (social reaction theory)
• People with rule-breaking behaviour different from rule-
making of rule-abiding persons.
• Backer labels them as “outsider.”
• The deviants first indulge in primary deviance
• They step into the arena of secondary deviance
• The deviant who is denied legitimate means,turns to
illegitimate means
• The labelled deviant joins organized group of criminals
• Classification of citizens:
• 1)rule abiding – conforming citizens
• 2)falsely accused – labelled without breaking law
• 3)pure deviants- law breaking behaviour
• 4) secret deviants- those that break law,yet avoid labelling
• Criticism of Becker’s theory:
• Purely theoritical approach to crime
• Distinction between primary,secondary-futile as it is influenced by
changing variables.
• Lack of empirical support
• A deviant is one to whom people so label.