When an individual uses deviant behavior as a means of defense, attack, or adjustment to the overt and covert problems created by the consequent societal reaction to him or her, it is called:

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Secondary deviance refers to the behavior that individuals adopt in response to the societal reaction they receive for their initial (primary) deviance. This societal reaction often leads to stigmatization, which then causes the individual to further engage in deviant behavior as a means of coping or adjusting to their labeled identity.

When an Individual Uses Deviant Behavior as a Means of Defense