Teoria naznaczania społecznego i możliwości jej zastosowania w kontekście współczesnej przestępczości nieletnich w Polsce

Abstract

This article deals with the issues concerning juvenile delinquency in modern Poland; its main goal is presenting the reflections of the representatives of the labelling theory. One of the negative results of the social-economic transformations in Poland is the increase in the number of offences by juvenile delinquents, and significant qualitative changes in this phenomenon. The labelling theorists (E. Lemert, H. Becker, K. Erikson, J. Kitsuse, E. Schur, as well as A. Cicourel and E. Goffman), basing on the assumptions of symbolic interactionism (G. Mead), perceive deviation as a phenomenon originating in the process of social interactions. In the article, as the theoretical background, the author presents the views of two classic representatives of the theory: H. Becker and E. Lemert, and outlines the approach of a modern researcher in the labelling theory, J. Braithwaite. In sum, the social reaction theory can be applied in explaining the influence that social changes – especially economic ones – may have on the structure of crime and the functioning of the law enforcement and judicial systems. Despite its considerable achievements, a critical analysis of the labelling theory enables identifying certain limitations and drawbacks of the concept. However, regardless of the formulated doubts, it is worth noticing that the theory has contributed to the creation of a new paradigm in criminology and, following the suggestions of the labelling theorists, more emphasis has been put on the significance of the – often negative – influence of the social control institutions on the life of a juvenile delinquent.