Socialization The claim that criminals are unsocialized, or under socialized individuals is not theoretically sound. Socialization is inevitable, and unless individuals are completely isolated, socialization will occur. The problem is not that individuals who commit criminal acts are "unsocialized", but rather that they are socialized in ways that encourage or support violent, or criminal behavior. Numerous theories attempt to explain this type of socialization, and we will look at these in this paper. Learning Theory is the theory that I feel best supports this notion of criminal socialization. "Learning refers to habits and knowledge