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John Dillinger's Criminal Behavior

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John Dillinger was one of the most notorious criminals in American history. He was known to be part of the most organized and deadly bank robbing gang and highly wanted by the FBI. John began his criminal behavior at a young age, initiating his urge to become a professional bank robber. Using the psychodynamic theory, social learning theory and the differential association theory, I hope to analyze the factors that triggered John Dillinger's criminal behavior that was present in his childhood, leading to his adulthood and how he managed to maintain his label as a thief.
John Herbert Dillinger was born on June 22, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the youngest child to John Wilson Dillinger and Mary Ellen Lancaster. At the age of 3 John Dillinger's …show more content…

Edwin Sutherland proposed the Differential Association theory to explain how these criminal behaviors can be learned and maintained by emphasizing the meanings to the experiences through inmate personal groups. When the individual possesses the knowledge of the criminal behavior, they develop "techniques of committing the crime" and the specific direction of motives. Individuals are seen as delinquents or criminals when they encourage the violation of law over the obeying of law. John Dillinger's childhood gang, the Dirty Dozen, initiated his label as a thief and also asserted his desire to possessed excessive money. In his adulthood, John continues to learn how to perfect his criminal behavior by befriended professional bank robbers, Harry Pierpont, and Homer Van Meter, while he was imprisoned. They thought him the art of precision and strategic planning while robbing banks, which resulted in creating the most organized and deadly bank robbing gang. Growing up during the Great Depression Era is another factor that may have provoked John's bandit attitude. Even though his dad owned the local neighborhood grocery store, John believed that he was deprived of money, inducing his engagement in criminal

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