Ed Sheeran’s song “The A Team” includes two themes of deviant acts and crimes at once. In the center of the lyrics, there is a young woman who is engaged in prostitution in the role of a “call girl” (Ed Sheeran, 2011) and uses heroin as a way to escape from reality. Her behavior is caused by several factors that may be seen as parts of criminological theories. First, the self-control theory can be used to explain the heroine’s actions. It suggests that the lack of individual self-control becomes the main factor in criminal behavior (Criminal Justice, n.d.). Low self-control is also evident in behavior similar to criminal acts, such as antisocial (but not illegal), deviant, and risky behavior (Criminal Justice, n.d.), which may be seen as explanations for the main character’s actions. Moreover, it is worth noticing that in the case considered abnormal behavior is justified by sociological, psychological, and economic factors (Wimble Don, 2016). The financial situation of the woman and the difficulty in applying for a decent job worsens her mental state, as a result of which she manifests deviant behavior.
Using theories to explain actions positively impacts the future fate of the person who committed the crime. Sometimes theory can serve as a mitigating factor in sentencing, which will help give the offender hope for further correction. Simultaneously, understanding the theory is necessary for the possibility of further prevention of crimes. For example, considering the above case, the greatest awareness of the factors influencing the tendency to deviant behavior could help the woman increase her negative reaction to such a lifestyle at the very beginning. Thus, each criminal case should be considered individually, and the variety of criminological theories helps expand the classification’s scope.
References
Ed Sheeran. (2011). The A Team [Song]. On + [Album]. Lava Records.
Self-Control Theory. (n.d). Criminal Justice.
Wimble Don. (2016). Factors affecting criminal behaviour [Video]. YouTube.