Criminology
Lesson 3
Explaining Crime
Stankiewicz
Essential Questions - 1
 What are some useful definitions for understanding
crime causality?
 What are the Classical and Neoclassical approaches to
explaining crime?
Essential Questions - 2
 What are positivist approaches to explaining crime
 What are the biological theories of crime causation?
 What are the Psychological theories of crime causation?
 What are the sociological theories of crime causation?
Essential Questions - 3
 What are Critical Approaches to Explaining Crime?
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What is the Labeling Theory of crime causation?
What is the Conflict Theory of crime causation?
What is the Radical Theory of crime causation?
What is the British or Left Realism Theory of crime
causation?
 What is the Feminist Theory of crime causation?
 What is the Postmodern Theory of crime causation?
Definitions
 Theory: An assumption(s) that attempts to
_____________________________________________
 Criminal Theory: The __________________________
as well as the behavior of police, attorneys,
prosecutors, judges, correctional personnel, victims
and other actors in the criminal justice system
More Definitions
 Social Contract: an imaginary agreement to
___________________________________________
amount of liberty to prevent anarchy and chaos
 General Deterrence: The _______________________
of people in general or society at large from engaging
in crime by punishing specific individuals and making
______________________________ .
Classical and Neoclassical
Approaches to Explaining Crime - 1
 Classical Theory
 Product of the Enlightenment (Age of reason)
 Assumes people exercise “Free Will”
 ______________________________________________
 People ______________________________________
Classical Theory of Crime
 Human behavior (including criminal behavior) is
motivated by _________________________________
 People weigh the ______________________________
aspect of their actions
 Together with Neoclassical theory essentially the
model on which ________________ is based on today
 AKA: Rational Choice Theory
Cause of Crime - Classical Theory of
Crime
 Free willed individuals commit crime because they
___________________________________________
will give them more pleasure than pain
Classical Theory of Crime
Policy Implications - 1
 Establish a social contract with people
 Enact laws that are ___________________________
and reflect the population’s consensus
 Punishments proportionate with crimes
 Least possible given the circumstances
 Not judge’s discretion
 _______________________________________
Classical Theory of Crime
Policy Implications - 2
 Punishments are ______________________________
 Educate the public on crime
 Reward _________________________________
Caesar Beccaria
Principal Proponent of the Classical
Theory
 The justified rationale for
laws and punishment as
the Principle of Utility
 Principle of ____________
 Policy should provide
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Classical and Neoclassical
Approaches to Explaining Crime -2
 Neoclassical :
 Modification of classical theory in which it was conceded
that ___________________________________________
 ______________________________________ , etc.
Neoclassical Theory Effects on
Criminal Justice Policy
 Two practical effects:
 (1) Provided a reason to include non-medical experts to
testify as to the diminished responsibility of offender
 (2) Defenders began to be sentenced to punishments
that were _____________________________________
Positivist School (theory) Of
Criminology
 Grew out of positive philosophy and logic
 Focus on ______________________________________
 Use __________________________________________
 Several subsets of Positivist Theory
 Biological theories
 Psychological theories
 Sociological theories
Key assumptions in all positivist
schools of thought
 Human Behavior ______________________ and not a
matter of “Free Will”
 _____________________________________________
 Social scientists (including criminologists) can be
objective, or value-neutral
 Crime is frequently caused by ___________________
 Society is based on consensus but not on a social
contract
Problems with Positivist Theories - 1
 Over prediction and generalization
 _______________________________________________
 Ignores the criminalization process
 ______________________________________________
 Consensual world view
 Belief that most people ___________________________
 Does not take into account conflict of values
 Blind acceptance of the status quo
Problems with Positivist Theories - 2
 Belief in determinism
 Choice is
______________________________________________
independent of a person’s will
 Assume humans only ____________________________
 Belief that people can be value-neutral
Positivist Theories of CrimeBiological Theory
 _____________________________________________
causes people to commit crimes
 Biological Inferiority: According to biological
theories, a criminal’s _________________________
produces certain _____________________________
characteristics that distinguish criminal from
noncriminals
Biological Theory
Policy Implications
 _____________________________________________
 For specific problems, brain surgery, chemical
treatment, improved diet, and better mother and
child health care
 Proponents: Caesar Lombroso (1878) and William
Sheldon (1940s)
Biological Theory
Criminal Anthropology
 Criminal Anthropology: The study of “Criminal”
human beings
 Proponent: Caesar Lombroso (1878)
Biological Theory
Caesar Lombroso (1878)
 ________________________________________________
 That type can be recognized by _____________________
or stigmata (ex: insensitivity to pain, enormous jaws)
 The more characteristics the more chance a criminal
 Physical stigmata _________________________________;
only indicate a _________________________________ to
crime. Such a person could be an atavist (Someone who
reverts to savage type)
 Because of personal natures, such people can not resist
being criminal unless they ___________________________
Biological Theory
Caesar Lombroso (1878)
 Problems with Criminal Anthropology
 Assumptions that certain characteristics are indicative
of biological inferiority
 No independent research
 __________________________________________
Biological Theory
William Sheldon (1940s)
 Body types determine criminal behavior possibilities
 Three body types (somatotypes) according to
Sheldon
 ____________________________________________
 ____________________________________________
 ____________________________________________
 Everyone has elements 0f all these types
Biological Theory
William Sheldon (1940s)
 _____________________________________________
 ____________________________, does not take into
consideration social reasons for criminal behavior
 Gang membership example
Positivist Theories of Crime
Psychological Theory - 1
 Intelligence Theory:
_____________________________________________
____________________________________________
 Policy implication: Isolate or execute offenders
 Reliability: Low
Positivist Theories of Crime
Psychological Theory - 2
 Psychoanalytic Theory:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Policy implication: Provide psychotherapy or
psychoanalysis
 Reliability: ?
Positivist Theories of Crime
Psychological Theory - 3
 Humanistic Theory: Crime is a means by which people
________________________________ (MASLOW) OR
 Crime is an adaptation to helplessness caused by
oppression (HALLECK)
 Policy Implication: Help people satisfy their needs legally
(MASLOW) or
 ________________________________________________.
Provide legal ways of coping with feelings of helplessness
caused by oppression. Psychoanalysis (HALLECK)
Maslow’s Hierarchy
of Basic Needs
1. Psychological (food, water, etc.)
2. ____________ (security; stability; freedom from
fear, anxiety, chaos, etc.)
3. Belongingness and Love (Friendship, love, affection)
4. __________ (Self esteem and the esteem of others)
5. Self-actualization (Being true to one’s nature,
becoming everything one is capable of becoming)
Positivist Theories of Crime
Psychological Definitions - 1
 Psychopath, sociopaths, or antisocial personalities
 Persons characterized by _______________________
______________________________________________
 Have difficulty forming relationships with people
 Can not empathize with other people
 Psychopath: ________________________________
 Sociopath: _________________________________
Positivist Theories of Crime
Characteristics of a Psychopath
1.
2.
3.
Superficial charm
“Good” intelligence
Absence of delusions or
other signs of irrational
thinking
4. Unreliability
5. Untruthfulness and
insincerity
6. Lack of remorse/shame
7. Inadequately motivated
antisocial behavior
8. Poor judgment and failure to
learn from experience
9. Incapacity for love
10. General poverty in major
affective reactions
11. Specific loss of insight
12. Unresponsiveness in
general interpersonal
relations
13. Uninviting behavior with
or without drink
14. Suicide rarely carried out
15. Sex life trivial/impersonal
16. Failure to follow any life plan
Positivist Theories of Crime
Sociological Theory - 1
 Durkheim Theory: ____________________________.
It is a “normal” aspect of society, although different
types of societies have greater or lesser degrees of
crime. _______________________________________
 Policy implication: Contain crime within reasonable
boundaries
Positivist Theories of Crime
Sociological Theory - 2
 Chicago School Theory:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Policy implication: Organize and empower
neighborhood residents
Positivist Theories of Crime
Sociological Theory - 3
 Learning Theory:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Policy implication: Provide law-abiding models.
Regulate associations. Eliminate crime’s rewards.
Reward good behavior.
_____________________________________________
Positivist Theories of Crime
Sociological Theory - 4
 Control Theory:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Policy implication: Properly socialize children so they
develop self-control and a strong moral bond to
society
Positivist Theories of Crime
Sociological Theory – 5
 Anomie or strain theory: Crime is caused by anomie
or strain, which is contradiction between the cultural
goals and the social structures capacity to provide
means to achieve these goals.
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Policy implication: Reduce aspirations, increase
legitimate opportunities. Do both
Critical Theories of Crime
Learning Theory
 Learning Theory: Focus is the criminalization process
– the way people and actions are described as
criminal. This theory emphasizes the criminalization
process as the cause of some crime
 People ________________________________________
 Does not explain initial ___________________________.
Explains only secondary deviance
 Policy Implication: Do not label
Critical Theories of Crime
Conflict Theory
 Conflict Theory: Assumes that society is based primarily on
_______________________________________________
_________________________________________________
and that the criminal law and criminal justice system are used
to control subordinate groups.
__________________________________________________
 Policy Implication: Dominant groups give up power to
subordinate groups. Dominant groups become more
effective rulers and subordinate groups better subjects
Critical Theories of Crime
Radical Theory
 Radical Theory:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Policy Implication: Define crime as a violation of basic
civil rights. Replace the criminal justice system with a
“popular” or “socialist” justice. Create a
“_______________________________” society
appreciative of human diversity
Critical Theories of Crime
British or Left Realism Theory
 British or Left Realism Theory: Relative deprivation is
a potent, but not exclusive, cause of crime
 Policy Implication: Employ police power to protect
people in working-class environments
Critical Theories of Crime
Feminist Theory
 Feminist Theory:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Policy Implication: Abolish patriarchal system.
Champion greater equality for women in all areas
Critical Theories of Crime
Postmodernism Theory
 Postmodernism Theory: ________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
 Policy Implication: Transform people into caring
individuals. Champion social justice
Summary and Reference
References:
Bohn, Robert M. and Haley, Keith N. Introduction to
Criminal Justice, (Columbus Ohio: The McGraw-Hill
Companies) 2011, Chapter 3