3 The Search for Causes

Introduction to Theory A set of interrelated ideas that attempt to describe, explain, predict & ultimately control some class of events Theories are models that can be tested utilizing a hypotheses Fits the facts & stands up to scrutiny Research is the use of standardized, systemic procedures in the search for knowledge

Introduction to Theory Interdisciplinary theory integrates a variety of theoretical viewpoints in an attempt to explain something, such as crime and violence

Introduction to Theory Deviance A violation of social norms defining appropriate behavior under a particular set of circumstances Not necessarily criminal behavior Criminal behavior Deviant behavior converted into law, approved by a legislative body, written down, and codified

General Categories of Theory Classical and neoclassical Early biological Biosocial Psychological Sociological Social process Conflict Emergent

Classical Theories People freely choose to engage in crime Grew out of the Enlightenment Free will & reasonable punishments Concerned with why individuals committed crime, rather than whether or not the crime was committed Crime prevention is possible through swift and certain punishment to offset gains made through criminal behavior

Classical Theories Beccaria is considered the founder of the Classical School of Criminology Proposed basic changes in the criminal laws of his day to make them more “humanitarian” Bentham developed “hedonistic calculus” The punishment had to outweigh the crime Neoclassical theories holds that offenders make a rational choice to commit the crime

Biological Theories Behavior is predetermined and genetically based Criminality may be passed on from generation to generation Criminals are identifiable through physical characteristics or genetic makeup. Treatment is generally ineffective, but aggression may be usefully redirected

Biological Theories Cesare Lombroso Father of positivist theory Atavism is a condition characterized by the existence of features thought to be common in earlier stages of human evolution Application of scientific techniques to the study or crime and criminals

Biological Theories Criminal families Mental degeneration is an inherited contributor to crime Somatypes Mesomorphs Endomorphs Ectomorphs

Biological Theories Eugenics These biological theories led to the belief that sterilization would keep criminal characteristics from being passed on to offspring

Biosocial Theory Sees the interaction between biology and the physical and social environments as key to understanding human behavior Can include brain dysfunction, glucose metabolism, poor nutrition, and physiological reactivity (such as skin resistance and heart rate)—with the social environment and DNA in producing deviance and criminality Chromosomes can have gene deficits, enzymes, and hormones

Biosocial Theories Chromosome Theory - XYY Syndrome Connection between chromosome patterns and crime Some males have an extra Y chromosome Supermales

Biosocial Theories Biocriminology Chemical imbalances Hormones Brain chemistry Endocrine system

Psychological Theories Personality is the major motivational element within individuals Crimes result from: Inappropriately conditioned behavior Abnormal, dysfunctional, or inappropriate mental processes Diseased mind and inappropriate learning or improper conditioning, often occurring in early childhood

Psychological Theories Psychoanalytic theory: id, ego, and superego Sigmund Freud Weak superego: cannot responsibly control drives—psychopaths Sublimination: symbolically substitute one item for another Thanatos: a death instinct in which animate matter desires to return to the inanimate

Trait Theory: The Big Five Openness to experience Extraversion Conscientiousness Neuroticism Agreeableness

Sociological Theories Social groups, social institutions, the arrangements of society, and social roles Development of crime Group dynamics, group organization, and subgroup relationships The structure of society and the relative degree of social organization or social disorganization are important factors contributing to the prevalence of criminal behavior

Sociological Theories The clash of norms and values among variously socialized groups Socialization and the process of association between individuals The existence of subcultures and varying types of opportunities

Social Process Theories Differential association theory Restraint theory Labeling theory Life course perspective

Conflict Theories Conflict is a fundamental aspect of social life and can never be fully resolved Radical criminology sees crime as engendered by the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and other resources Peacemaking criminology holds that crime-control agencies and the citizens they serve should work together to alleviate social problems and human suffering, and thus reduce crime

Emergent Theories Feminist criminology Postmodern criminology Role of women in both crime causation and crime control might be better appreciated Understanding women as crime victims Postmodern criminology A wide variety of novel perspectives that have developed in recent decades, encompassing evolving paradigms