Theoretical framework The positivist theorists argue that criminal and delinquent behaviors are caused by other factors that are beyond the sphere of free will. These factors are varied and can be biological (genetics), sociological (environment), or psychological (personality, learning) in nature. It is believed that psychological theories are positivist because they strive to explain criminal behavior using factors that are beyond an individual’s control. This paper will make use of two positivist theories – differential association theory and social learning theory – to explain cyberbullying. Differential association theory Learning theory approaches to the explanation of criminal behavior have been associated with one of the major sociological theories of crime, the differential association theory. The differential association theory is founded on the idea that the current society has incompatible structures of norms and behaviors. Society also has a contradictory description of suitable behavior that causes individuals to engage in crime (Blackburn 1993). When individuals directly experience this conflict, they are more likely to engage in acts of crime or delinquency through differential association. In differential association, individuals learn criminal and delinquent behaviour by coming into contact with other delinquents/criminals, more often than not in close and personal groups. In short, peer pressure and the attitudes of peers greatly affect the inclination of an individual to engage in crime. Similarly, associations with individuals who support delinquent/criminal behaviors also influence individuals to engage in such behaviors. This therefore means that people do not necessarily have to associate with criminals for them to engage in criminal activities. The theory of differential association can apply to cyberbullying in several ways. First and foremost, youth who engage in cyber bullying may do so by associating with peers who cyberbully others. Secondly, the act of cyberbullying may be influenced by the lack of strict disciplinarian acts established by parents and schools. The leniency towards cyberbullying may therefore prompt more children and adolescents to engage in the behavior (Blackburn 1993). Social learning theory Social learning theory in psychology is normally linked to the work of Albert Bandura and his study on modeling and imitation. Social learning theory asserts that behaviour can be learned cognitively by observing and imitating the behaviors of other people (Blackburn, 1993). People can imagine themselves in related circumstances and incur related outcomes. When the behavior has been learned it may either be reinforced or discouraged according to the results it produces. Bandura supported a number of the vital notions of the operant conditioning theory; reinforcement, punishment, and motivation (Feldman 1993). He believed that there are three elements of motivation which include external reinforcement, vicarious reinforcement, and self-reinforcement. External reinforcement is likened to Skinner’s notion of reinforcement. Vicarious reinforcement is obtained from watching other people’s behavior is either reinforced or punished. Self-reinforcement deno