Differential association deals with the interaction of individuals with groups and individuals and the process of identification with them. The importance one places on interaction with the surrounding environment determines whether the predominant behavior will be adopted (Akers & Jensen in McLaughlin & Neuburn, 2010, p. 59). Empirical research indicates that delinquent peers are one of the strongest predictors of delinquency. behavior (Jensen, 1972; Matsueda 1982; Benda, 1994; Warr, 1996; Warr, 2002). Data suggest that the effect of delinquent peers on delinquency is stronger for men than for women (Johnson 1979, Simons et al. 1980, MacDonald and Piquero 2005). The reason behind gender differences in association within peer groups could be that subcultures tend to praise and reinforce "masculine" images and girls often do not fit (Steffensmeier cited in Covington, 1988, p. 492). Nevertheless, according to Giordano, girls are more likely to be influenced by their male delinquent peers than by their female peers (Giordano, 1978), suggesting that external properties of delinquent peer groups are more important for differential association as the internal characteristics of the individuals influenced. . Therefore, it would seem reasonable to conclude that the different crime rates between men and women could simply be a reflection of the greater intensity, frequency, priority and duration of men's associations with their peers. of the same sex. However, other studies support this view. noting that strong moral beliefs, which are generally more often observed in women than men, correspond to the peer influence gap between the sexes (Maers et al., 1998). This observation could easily be attributed to different... middle of article ...... traditional views of masculinity and femininity are proportional to gender differences in crime rates (Chesney-Lind & Shelden 1993, Pollock-Byrne 1990, Steffensmeier & Allan 1996). However, other studies show that while this result applies to men, it is inversely proportional for women. The gender gap in crime rates has been shown to be smaller when gender roles are less noticeable (Loy and Norland 1981, Adler 1975, Simon 1975, Heimer and De Coster 1999). This means that women who perceive themselves less as part of the gender construct tend to be more similar to men in their likelihood of committing crimes. As a result, cultures in which men define their role within society in a gender-stereotyped manner show an increased tendency toward criminality compared to women. These results clearly highlight the relationship between sexist definitions and