1. How does differential association factor into the teen's decisions about whether to engage in criminal activity? Use key terms and evidence from this lesson to support your responses. 2. Would you consider crime “contagious” based on your teen’s story? If so, what forces or factors made crime contagious? If not, what forces or factors reduced the contagious effect often seen in crime?

Even though he’s only 19 years old, Bennie has witnessed more murders than he can count in his St. Louis neighborhood. He’s been involved in his neighborhood gang since he was in elementary school and has committed many illegal acts he felt pressured to do. However, he’s come to the point where he’s making some contacts outside of his gang friends when he walks to another neighborhood where his friend Donny has moved. Donny tells him about other activities he’s involved in, such as a community center basketball program. By the time he turns 21, Bennie has started spending less time with his friends in the gang and more time connected with his friend Donny and Donny’s welcoming family. He began to reject the view that the gang is central to his life or that killing is “necessary to survive” as he used to believe