In Criminology, behavior that is not considered a norm in society is known as deviance. This may differ around the world as some cultures have a different interpretation of the norms (Phofl, 1985). Most deviant behavior will be seen as discontent by members of society or even punishment by the system. Deviance can fall into many classifications such as addictions and delinquency. We will look at deviance and how and why people are deviant. Some theories support the idea that deviance is biological, while others refute it and believe that it is caused by social construction. There are two key interpretations that people see about how an individual becomes deviant; biologically or by the social construction of a person. The biological explanation of deviance is that it is part of who you are when you are born. Whether you were born into a long line of alcoholics or your mother has a mental illness depends on your genes. There are many theories that support the biological explanation of deviance that will be explained in this essay. Some seem very unlikely and don't have much evidence, but there are many theorists who support this idea. The social constructionist explanation is that you become deviant from the way you were raised. It is believed that some parts of your childhood can cause a person to become deviant. It could be that your parents or guardians raised you as a deviant person because they themselves were deviant. It could also be that you were neglected as a child and were never taught right from wrong. There are also many theories supporting this explanation of deviance and a famous proponent of social constructionism causing deviance is E...... middle of paper ......nted in Maori men and the XYY chromosome represents the 'hypermasculinity (Gillham, 2011). Also in Lombroso's theory he describes the appearance of large jaws and cheekbones and a general hairiness of the body that is normally associated with males (Burfeind & Bartusch, 2006). In conclusion, it would be safe to suggest that labeling theory and learning Both theories have a great influence on people's lives, presumably due to their susceptibility and the way they look at different behaviors within their society. Since both criminal and deviant acts are shaped and manufactured by society, the behavior displayed by an individual will certainly be labeled if it does not live up to the norms and values ​​in place in his society. However, as the essay explains, young people will pick up characteristics of deviance from influential structures in society.