Criminology Theories
Criminology theories seek to explain why crime occurs and what can be done to prevent it. This field draws its inspiration from social science, biology, and psychology, as well as the law. These fields play important roles in the study of human behavior and help to protect the safety and security of society.
Types of Criminology Theories
There are many different types of criminology theories, but they all revolve around the idea that criminals commit crimes because of their actions. The laws and judicial system use these theories to determine whether an individual's crime is the result of their rational decision, internal predisposition or external factors.
Sociological Theory
The sociological approach to criminology examines the social structures in an offender's environment, including family, peer groups, education level and subculture that led to his criminality. This theory proposes that criminality is inevitable under circumstances such as ongoing exposure to social disorganization in a criminal culture, stigmatization, strain including poverty, a break-down in family or moral values and family or community-justified crime.
Biological Theory
Biological theories of crime are based on the notion that people are born with natural drives and tendencies to act in certain ways. These natural tendencies are influenced by the way they are raised, the environment they grow up in and their genetic makeup. Biological theories of crime are based in anthropology, and explore the genetic differences between criminals and noncriminals as well as vitamin deficiencies, brain function and other physical factors that may contribute to criminality.
Psychological Theory
Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud developed this theory, which states that everyone has instinctual drive that demand gratification. These drives are regulated by a moral and ethical code that people learn as they grow up. Once they are adults, they develop a rational personality called the "ego" to mediate these drives and control their behavior.
These theories also suggest that people may turn to crime when they are strained or unable to achieve their goals, and can be useful for understanding why some people commit crimes while others don't. However, these theories are often difficult to test and are not a perfect solution for preventing crime.
Structural Functionalism and Social Strain Typology
A more structural approach to criminology studies deviance as an integral part of society. This theory suggests that people who commit crime are not trying to hurt others but are actually pursuing a desired goal in their life, such as money, power or social status.
This type of criminology theories also suggests that deviance is a product of social learning and that the offender learns from others in his environment and is shaped by those beliefs and values. This theory is a useful tool for gaining a deeper understanding of other criminology theories, but it can be difficult to apply it in practice.
Conflict Theory and Labeling Theories
Lastly, there is labeling theory, which emphasizes the need for social esteem and reward as a means to establishing identity. This theory is especially useful for examining how violence can be used to bolster one's reputation or standing within a community.
