Running Head The Effects of Labeling 1

The Effects of Labeling

Brenda Knudson

Salt Lake Community College

The Effects of Labeling

Labels are the names given to an individual that define who they are and what others will

come to see them as after a label has been given. The problem is these labels given to us can

either improve or destroy your own self-image, not just how others see us. The purpose of this

paper is to explain what the labeling theory is, and to show the effects labels can have on each of

us from building us up to tearing us down to the point that we actually turn into the labels we are

given. When one is given a negative label specifically, it’s hard to overcome it and that person is

more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors. Being labeled as deviant can have long term

consequences on one’s self-image and social identity.

The Labeling theory also known as the Social Reaction Theory, is a theory that labeling

is a cause of deviant behavior. Deviance is considered anything done that violates cultural norms.

The majority of people have a tendency to label a minority for anything different than they see as

normal in their culture. Labeling theory is an idea that the labels people are given not only

influence the perception they have of themselves but influences other’s perception of them as

well and people will either conform to this or their behavior will turn into deviance. Labeling

theory was first suggested by sociologists in the 1960’s. One of which was Howard S. Becker,

that explains how a person being labeled, incorporates that label into their own self-identity and

it becomes a part of who they are. Becker explains how labeling is associated with self-fulfilling

prophecies. “Being labeled as deviant is one of the most important stages in producing a deviant

identity” (Albrecht, 1978, p. 115).

What is considered deviant can change and vary over time, places and groups because

norms change over time and aren’t the same for all groups of people. There are positive and

negative effect of being labeled. While positive labels can improve one’s self-image such as
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being labeled as smart, beautiful, responsible, honors student, etc., society often sees the negative

aspects more because of stereotyping which causes people to believe the label with the idea that

they understand and identify with that person regardless if it’s true or not. For example, we may

have a stereotype about people that belong to a certain religion or that have a certain political

view, and we automatically think we know who they are and what they believe because of that

stereotype. Whether it’s being labeled a Republican, Democrat, Jew or Catholic, whatever the

label is, we stereotype that person as being just like everyone else in that group without even

knowing. Once someone stigmatizes another, their opinion will rarely change even if they later

find out it’s not even true, which makes those negative stigmas stick. People giving the label

might also engage in retrospective or projective labeling. Retrospective labeling is using a label

and thinking backwards to a person’s past behavior. For example, saying “It makes sense that

they murdered someone, they were always a violent child”, even if they were no more violent

than any other child their age. Projectile labeling is determining their future actions because of

their current label, such as thinking or saying a murder will murder again.

Edwin Lemert developed the standard view of the labeling process with two main

concepts; primary and secondary deviance. Primary deviance are normal small violations that

most of us commit and that are often overlooked, such as speeding, skipping school periodically

or even petty theft that goes unnoticed. Secondary deviance on the other hand are more serious

deviant acts that do not go unnoticed by others. They tend to have a strong public reaction which

creates a label that can ultimately define you, giving you a new identity. Some example of

secondary deviance are being labeled a nerd, trouble maker, psycho, criminal, addict, etc. After

being labeled by secondary deviance, a person develops a stigma which is being characterized or

branded with disgrace that they incorporate into their own self-image and social identity. It is the
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thinking that I am what you say I am or if everyone says it and believes it, then it must be true

(Siegel, 2015, p.181-183). Once your identity is damaged like that, it can stay with you

throughout your life and provoke more negative actions that could turn into criminal or

delinquent behavior.

Even our hair color is a symbol of individual and group identity, such as being labeled as

a “dumb blond” or even a redhead. Redheads were used as an example in the article Ugly

Duckling to Swan. The labeling theory was used to study the stigmatization that redheads face in

society. For the article, redheads were interviewed and their perceptions of themselves and

having red hair was analyzed. Some common stereotypes associated with redheads are, being hot

tempered, clownish, weird, Irish, not able to be in the sun for long periods of time, being wild

women but wimpy men and being intellectually superior. Redheads often get positive treatment

from adults, but negative treatment from other children. Some consequences they experience are

having lower self-esteem, feelings of being different, and a sense of being the center of attention.

Adult redheads typically come to accept their hair color and appreciate how it’s shaped them.

This example shows “how labeling theory can account for the treatment of redheads” (Heckert,

1997, p. 382).

Labels come from many different places such as our parents, peers and teachers. Parental

labeling can be one of the most harmful especially at a young age. This can cause children to

become antisocial, fail in school and seek out deviant peers which can set you on a negative path

for life. While parental labeling is expected to predict youth delinquency directly, peer attitudes

and delinquency are likely to modify the effects of parental labeling. Youths that experience

negative labeling from parents and that are also encouraged negatively by delinquent friends are
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most likely to engage in delinquent activities, especially from those that do not have friends

encouraging delinquent behavior (Liu, 2000, p. 503).

The labeling theory and stigmas are even recognized as serious problems in the court

systems and because of how devastating stigmas can be, specialized courts for children were

developed in effort to help avoid stigmas. Some of the ways the juvenile court had tried to lower

stigmatization is by having informal procedures, hearings closed to the public and press, and

limited access to court records. The courts try to limit others knowledge of the youths contact

with the court. How much attention is drawn to the acts can make a lot of difference. If a youth

commits a minor deviant act whether it’s on a whim, out of boredom or to get a reaction; if the

act goes unnoticed or the act does not get assigned a label, the youth is more likely to grow out

of this type of deviant behavior. If however the community labels the youth as “troubled” or

“bad”, then the youth is more likely to define themselves as “troubled” or “bad” which can in

turn lead to more deviant behaviors. What this implies however, is that if we ignore youth’s

deviant acts and not label them, then the deviant behavior will decrease on its own and that

simply isn’t realistic in most cases mainly because not all deviance is because of labeling as

Becker points out (Mahoney, 1974).

This brings up the question of whether or not it’s possible to be “de-labeled” once a label

has been given to you. There is a lack of information and discussions regarding this topic which

leads us to believe that it is rarely done. Youths that are known by police are more likely to be

picked up for questioning and to be dealt with more harshly than those youths that are not known

by police. An interesting study was done in the Netherlands by Buikhuisen and Dijkslerhuis in

1971 that shows how a negative label stays with you. 150 job application letters were sent to 75

large companies. All applications were the exact same except for the criminal record. One
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admitted to a conviction of theft, one admitted to temporarily losing their driver license because

of drunk driving and one didn’t mention a criminal record. Three comparable companies were

matched and each was sent one of the letters. The results showed that both categories of ex-

delinquents received significantly fewer positive reactions to their applications than the

applicants that didn’t mentions previous convictions (Mahoney, 1974).

Hirschi (1975) and Gove (1970) are some of the many that criticize the labeling theory

and say it’s not a theory at all because it doesn’t meet the criteria of a formal theory, isn’t

specific and can’t be tested. They further argue it is too vague and doesn’t explain why certain

deviant acts happen and vary in different populations and why some individuals commit certain

deviant acts while others do not. What’s pointed out is that labels are not the only cause of

deviant behavior. There are sometimes other things that go into account, such as one’s own

motivation or conduct, and that some people are mentally ill or physically dangerous regardless

of them being labeled as Black pointed out. Hirschi’s control theory says everyone is tempted to

engage in some sort of deviant behavior in their lives, but the thought of likely social

consequences are enough to stop them from committing acts. Regardless of its criticism, the

labeling theory is highly supported and is still the most popular approach to studying deviant

behavior. “It has been the single most dominant influence on deviance and delinquency research

in the last ten years” (Albrecht, 1978, p. 117-124).

In conclusion, while not all deviant behavior is because of the labeling, it plays a huge

role and the most studying cause for deviant behaviors. As shown with just a few examples listed

in this paper, labeling someone can have devastating consequences on one’s self-image and

social identity. So the next time you want to call someone a name or alienate them or stigmatize

them, you might be giving them a label that carries with them throughout the rest of their life.
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You may be the cause for their low self-esteem, the negative opinion that others have of them

and ultimately the identity they take into adulthood. I hope others can learn more about the

consequences of labeling someone and understand how you treats others really does matter.
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References

Albrecht, G., & Albrecht, M. (1978). A Critical Assessment of Labeling in the Juvenile Justice

System. The Justice System Journal, 4(1), 114-128.

Siegel, L. J., & Welsch, B. C. (2015). Juvenile Delinquency Theory, Practice and Law.

Stamford: Cengage Learning

Heckert, D., & Best, A. (1997). Ugly Duckling to Swan: Labeling Theory and the Stigmatization

of Red Hair. Symbolic Interaction, 20(4), 365-384.

Liu, X. (2000). The Conditional Effect of Peer Groups on the Relationship between Parental

Labeling and Youth Delinquency. Sociological Perspectives, 43(3), 499-514.

Mahoney, A. (1974). The Effect of Labeling upon Youths in the Juvenile Justice System: A

Review of the Evidence. Law & Society Review, 8(4), 583-614.