1. Why do people turn to crime?

2. The Three Influences Upbringing – focuses on social influences to explain why some people turn to crime. Biological factors – focuses on genes, gender and hormones of an individual to explain why some people turn to crime. Cognitive processes – focuses on how a person thinks to explain why some people turn to crime.

3. Upbringing Supports nurture in the Nature Vs Nurture debate. Psychologists believe that the way an individual is bought up has an effect on them in later life. General life experiences can lead to an increased risk in an individual adopting a criminal lifestyle. There are some areas that have much higher crime rates than others. Not everyone who lives in crime ‘hotspots’ turns to crime. So why do some people? “Criminality is a learned from those around us.” Edwin Sutherland

4. Upbringing If a child is given more reason to become a criminal then they will break the law. If children are bought up in an environment where breaking the law is seen to be acceptable then there is more chance they will break the law themselves. If an individual lives in an area of poverty, they are more likely to break the law as they feel alienated from society. Some people display criminal behaviour due to the situation they are in and if they are taken out of the situation, have no difficulty rehabilitating.

5. Biological factors It’s unlikely to find a single biological cause for why some people turn to crime because crime exists in may different forms. Many psychologists use biology as a way of explaining why people turn to crime as it offers the chance of screening in the future Others avoid this influence because there is a danger of labelling a person before a crime has been committed and ignoring the possibility of free will being able to override any predisposition of criminal behaviour.

6. “The Criminal Gene” Scientists from kings’ college have said that boys found to have a particular gene are more likely to become a criminal if they are mistreated. They have started the development of treatment for those found to have the “criminal gene” Ethical Issues: An individual may be labelled a criminal without ever committing a crime. Invasion of privacy. They may be defined by the genes they have rather than the person they are.

7. Cognition There must be a difference in how a criminal thinks compared to a law- abiding individual. Supports determinism in the free will Vs determinism debate. Determinism: Our behaviour is pre-determined by a chain of prior events. Understanding how a criminal thinks can provide the potential to change “faulty thinking” and reduce an individuals chance of re-offending.

8. The End