Theories of Crime & Deviance Demonology Classical & Neo-Classical Theory Positivism & the Ecological Approach Biological Theories Psychological Approaches Sociological Approaches

Demonology Crime caused by demonic activity Offender to be purged of evil presence

Classical Theory Origin: about 1764 Founders: Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham Based on ‘hedonistic calculus’ Punishment should fit the crime Punishment should be applied equally

Neo-Classical Theory Introduced idea of mitigating factors Age & situational context taken into account

Positivism & the Ecological Approach Positivism – emphasizes measuring, accumulating & assessing data Ecological approach identified relationships between criminality and geographical & social factors

Biological Approaches Core ideas: Biological and mental traits make some people crime-prone. These traits are inherited and present at birth. Mental and physical degeneracies are the cause of crime.

Lombroso & Biological Atavism Study of inmates Physical characteristics of inmates differ from law-abiding citizens Problems with atavism

Sheldon & Somatatyping Temperament affected by body type Endomorph Ectomorph mesomorph

XYY THEORY Based on studies of inmates “super-male” Problems with xyy theory

Genetic Predispositions Some individuals predisposed to: Alcoholism Suicide Mental illness Other deviant and criminal behavior

Biological Roots of Criminal Behaviour Chemical and Environmental Precursors *eating habits, vitamin deficiencies, blood sugar levels * Dan White and the Twinkie Defence” * Robert Parsons and the “sugar blackout' defence Hormones and Criminality Testosterone, pre-menstrual syndrome Christine English and Dr. Geraldine Richeter

Psychological approaches Focus on the individual (cognitive, behavioral, neurological, developmental) Examples: psychoanalytic theory Psychopathy

The Psychopath Lack empathy and guilt Highly manipulative Emotionally shallow Often outwardly charming History of violence & abuse Abnormal physiological responses to stressors

Sociological Approaches Micro sociology emphasizes social processes Example: learning the symbols of a culture/subculture Macrosociology emphasizes social structures Example: class inequalities cause crime