What underlying social mechanism is commonly observed when individuals labeled as deviant adopt behaviors that reinforce their deviant identity?

Labeling theory suggests that when society labels someone as deviant, that label can shape how the person sees themselves and how others treat them. This means that if someone is called a "bad kid," they might start to act like one because they believe that's who they are now. For example, if a student is labeled as a troublemaker, they might start skipping classes or getting into fights, reinforcing that label. This creates a cycle where the individual's deviant behavior strengthens their identity as a deviant, making it harder for them to change. Overall, the social mechanism at play is that labels can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies, where people live up to the expectations set by those labels.