SociologicalIndividuals are more inclined to copy the behaviors of their environment. We imitate the behavior of our role models and learn 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 respond as we do in particular situations (Schmideberg, 1947). The concept of learning through observation and replicating this behavior is called social learning theory (Miller & Vidmar, 1980). ). Children are known to try to be like their parents, and children tend to mistreat others if they grew up in a home where their parents were violent toward each other (Ryan, 2007). If a child's parents are balanced and non-violent, then the child will likely grow up to be the same. The Bandura experiments showed the influence of social learning where a child observed an adult hitting an inflated doll. After seeing the adult scream and hitting the doll, the child was given permission to play, the child copied the adult and began hitting the doll in the same way (Miller & Vidmar, 1980). This illustrates how people apply social learning by observing and replicating the actions they see in others. An individual’s social environment plays a major role in a young person’s harshness (Kaylen and Pridemore, 2011). This occurs when behavior is positively or negatively reinforced; negative punishment can deter positive reinforcement from occurring. Positive reinforcement occurs when a young person watches a family member commit a crime and get away with it. As a result, a pattern of reinforcement would occur because the younger member saw it working to someone else's advantage. .....). Gang membership as a turning point in the life course. Michigan: American Society of Criminology. Miller, D.T. and Vidmar, N. (1980). Sociopsychological processes underlying attitudes toward legal sanctions. Law & Society Review, pp. 565-602. Rafter, N. (2008). Understanding biological theories of crime. The Criminal Mastermind, 123-124.Ryan, LG (2007). Relationships with adults 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. (March 1947). Psychological factors underlying criminal behavior. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, pp. 458-476. Wood, J.L. and Alleyne, E. (2010). Involvement in gangs: psychological and behavioral characteristics of gang members, young people from the periphery and young people from Nongang. Kent: Wiley-Liss Inc..