For an act to be defined as deviant a person or groups of people must behave in a way that is disapproved of by most other people in a society. This behaviour is not an accepted way of behaving within the boundaries of the norms and values of that society.
Some sociologists believe that deviance is socially defined.
For an act to be seen as deviant or not depends on its social setting, this means that the time and place an act takes place and who sees it is as important as the act itself. Deviance is therefore defined by the social setting of the act. Stealing a bottle of milk from a doorstep. Crossing a pedestrian crossing on red. Crossing a pedestrian crossing on amber Crossing a pedestrian crossing on green.