Just like any theory, some people disagree with it. People claim that there are some criminals who had no friends or family who were also criminals and learned everything on their own. This is true and there are other reasons for those people and different theories that would fit their situation. Just like those theories, differential association theory is just that, a theory. It explains how we think some people are criminals and why others aren't. This theory explains how people become criminals, not why. Sutherland had 9 points in his theory. The biggest one: Criminal behavior is learned behavior. All the points revolve around this big issue. Behavior is learned by interacting with other people. This can happen with anyone close to the person. And when you learn behavior you also learn the techniques, motives, attitudes and rationalization of the crime. That last part is one of the biggest. People are more likely to commit crime if it is rationalized. This theory might also vary from person to person regarding the duration, frequency, and intensity of the behavior. (Differential association