SociologicalIndividuals are more inclined to copy the behaviors of their surroundings. We imitate the behavior of our role models and learn how to act by copying the people we admire most. Violent behavior is not something we are born with; instead, we are influenced by our natural environments which force us to react in the way we behave in particular situations (Schmideberg, 1947). The concept of learning from observation and replicating this behavior is known as social learning theory (Miller & Vidmar, 1980). ). Children are known to try to be like their parents and have a tendency to abuse others if they grew up in a family where their parents were violent towards each other (Ryan, 2007). If a child's parents are well-rounded and non-violent, the child will most likely grow up to be the same. Bandura's experiments showed the influence of social learning in which a child observed an adult hitting an inflated doll. After seeing the adult screaming and hitting the doll, the child was given permission to play, the child copied the adult and started hitting the doll in the same way (Miller & Vidmar, 1980). This illustrates how people apply social learning by observing and replicating actions they see in others. An individual's social environment plays an important role in determining how tough a youth is (Kaylen & Pridemore, 2011). This occurs when behavior is positively or negatively reinforced, negative punishment can deter positive reinforcement from occurring. Positive reinforcement takes place when a young person watches a family member commit a crime and get away with it, consequently a pattern of reinforcement would occur because the young member saw this work to someone else's advantage... middle of the paper. .....). Gang membership as a life-course turning point. Michigan: American Society of Criminology. Miller, D.T., & Vidmar, N. (1980). Sociopsychological processes underlying attitudes toward legal punishment. Law & Society Review, pp. 565-602.Rafter, N. (2008). Understanding biological theories of crime. The criminal brain, 123-124. Ryan, L. G. (2007). Adult relationships as predictors of substance use, gang involvement, and safety threats among disadvantaged urban high school adolescents. Journal of Community Psychology, pp. 1054-1071. Schmideberg, M. (1947, March). Psychological factors underlying criminal behavior. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, pp. 458-476. Wood, J. L., & Alleyne, E. (2010). Gang involvement: Psychological and behavioral characteristics of gang members, peripheral youth, and non-gang youth. Kent: Wiley-Liss Inc.