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It is first demonstrated that the sociological principle of differential association can be deduced from the economic theory of crime. Proceeding from the assumption that sanctioning situations can be modeled as chicken or prisoner's dilemma games, hypotheses are suggested to criticize hypotheses on sanctioning by advocates of the sociological labeling approach. Proceeding from the economic theory of crime, it is shown under what conditions the assumption of the labeling approach that delinquents are forced into a criminal career by punishment holds true. Finally, problems of the economic theory of crime and a potential integration with sociological hypotheses are discussed. Copyright 1989 by WWZ and Helbing & Lichtenhahn Verlag AG
Karl‐Dieter Opp (Tue,) studied this question.