But it's too close to the kind of simplistic statements going around during Sutherland's time. Every theorist has some quirk to help you get an idea of where they're coming from, but they also usually prepare their statements very, very carefully. Every phrase they put in their theoretical statements has some meaning. So when Sutherland uses this word, you get the idea that he is talking about being inclined toward crime, not actually committing crime. Anyway, the point is that there is more than one Dependent Variable in criminology.
Few theories provide explanations for actual crime or specific criminal events.
Case closed, theory proven. Theorists always hedge their bets like this in some way. You should get into the habit of estimating the percentage of explanation by what the theorist says. A relational is simply the verb or verbs contained in the statement. Often, but not always, the case involves an important Z factor which moderates, distorts, or confounds the relationship.