After three decades of research, three major psychological theories of crime have emerged: psychodynamic theory, behavioral theory and cognitive theory. Learning these criminology theories and how to put them into practice is a component of an online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree program.
3). However crime is a complex issue, and that is why theorists have investigated the causes of the criminal act using different perspectives and explanations. These explanations can be classified into three main categories as biological, psychological and sociological.
While there are many different sociological theories about crime, there are four primary perspectives about deviance: Structural Functionalism, Social Strain Typology, Conflict Theory, and Labeling Theory.
This entry focuses on the three major sociological theories of crime and delinquency: strain, social learning, and control theories.
The biological, social, psychological, and environmental theories underlying crime and deviance are explored, as well as current approaches to punishment, treatment, and prevention.
Criminological theories attempt to explain what is often inexplicable and to examine what is often the cruelty, oppression, or even evil some visit on others. They are sci- entific examinations of a particular social phenomenon.
Structural criminology is a new, sociological approach to criminology that considers the relationships among classes, genders, and races of people to help understand what causes crime. Power is measured in terms of the relation of one group to another.
the three most prominent views of criminologists regarding the definitions of crime are the consensus view, the conflict view, and the interactionist view. Consensus. crimes are bahvior that all elements of society consider offensive and cause social harm.
Deterrence theory, the most prominent choice-based theory, is based on the idea that people engage in crime when the anticipated benefits of committing a crime outweigh the likely costs of crime.
Rationality: The classical school assumes that people have free will and that they choose to commit crimes. For example, if Jordan decides to steal some candy at the store, he is not forced to, based on some pre-destiny. He chooses to steal that candy.
Biological theories have focused on body type, genetic factors, studies of twins to differentiate between genetic and social factors, and studies of chromosome variations. This literature suggests that criminality is genetically transmitted through the family.
Social process theory views criminality as a function of people's interactions with various organizations, institutions, and processes in society; people in all walks of life have the potential to become criminals if they maintain destructive social relationships.
Theories are useful tools that help us to understand and explain the world around us. In criminology, they help us to understand the workings of the criminal justice system and the actors in the system. 2. Theories suggest the way things are, not the way things ought to be.
There are three sub types within the hierarchy of social structure theories: social disorganization theory, strain theory, and culture conflict theory.
Social process theory lies on its three pillars social learning,social control and social labeling.
They view deviance as a key component of a functioning society. Strain theory, social disorganization theory, and cultural deviance theory represent three functionalist perspectives on deviance in society.
One of the most popular theories of criminal behavior, especially among sociologists and social psychologists, is the notion that criminal behavior is learned behavior. The theory of differential association, put forth by Edwin H.
Critical criminology, as a general theoretical principle, asserts that crime is based in class conflict and the structured inequalities of class society. The class divisions and their associated forms of inequality under advanced capitalism, therefore, generate the problem of traditional crime.
Starting from these basic assumptions, psychological explanations of deviant behavior come mainly from three theories: psychoanalytic theory, cognitive development theory, and learning theory.
The individual trait theory of criminology says that certain personality traits make people more likely to become criminals. Personality traits are influenced by both nature, or biological and genetic factors, and nurture, or environmental factors.
Criminal justice theories, like all social science theories, provide useful tools that help explain human behavior and social phenomena.
The elements of a crime are criminal act, criminal intent, concurrence, causation, harm, and attendant circumstances.
There are considered to be five major principles of the classical school of criminology. They include rationality, hedonism, punishment, human rights, and due process.