is a sociological construct used to explain why someone might commit a crime. It asserts that a direct or indirect negative characterization can predispose the individual to feel “tagged” and like an outcast.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            The process by which a person becomes fixed with a negative identity, such as "criminal" or "ex-con," and is forced to suffer the consequences of outcast status.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            Labelling or Labeling (US) is defining or describing a person in terms of his or her behavior. For example, describing someone who has broken a law as a criminal. The term is often used in sociology to describe human interaction, control and identification of deviant behavior.