Edwin Sutherland's differential association theory links deviance to how labeling someone as deviant can increase the deviant behavior. the amount of contact a person has with others who encourage or discourage conventional behavior. how well a person can contain deviant impulses. how others respond to the race, ethnicity, gender, and class of the individual.

The amount of contact a person has with others who encourage or discourage conventional behavior.

Explanation:

According to association theory, people will most likely conform to a certain action if those people associate with another people in the social groups who are promoting that behavior.

For example,

If a student is hanging out constantly with other students who workouts in their free time, that students have higher likelihood to associate themselves with their group and follow their workout regiment.

This phenomenon also occurred to the student who constantly hanging out with students who vandalize the community. Most of the time, that student will be encouraged to join in, to the point where they might disregard the contradicting  advice that their parents given to them.