Theories of Criminal Behavior

Class 1

Administrative

Return remaining journals and paper proposals

Papers– Folders– Electronic submission– Late papers

Review

Elements that make an act a crime When the offender is not responsible for the

crime Constitutional rights of suspects and

defendants Supreme Court Decisions – Right to counsel,

Exclusion of illegal evidence, and exclusion of coerced confessions

Today

I. Myths of the causes of crime

II. Overview of Theories

III. Biological Theories

IV. Psychological Theories

V. Sociological Theories

VI. Political/Economic Theories

VII. Conclusions

I. Myths of the causes of Crime

Can we prevent crime by figuring out who will be the criminals before they commit their crimes?

Myth of crime having a single cause

Since crime is a social construct, so is the criminal

II. Overview of Theories

Theological Theories Biological Theories Psychological Theories Sociological Theories Political/Economic Theories

III. Biological Theories

Natural born criminals– Cesare Lombroso – late 19th century– Approach to crime– Didn’t claim to explain all crime

III. Biological Theories

Later biological explanations

Environmental factors

IQ and crime

IV. Psychological Theories

Are certain personality types more prone to crime?

Also studies of personality disorders

Can psychological trauma in childhood cause crime?

V. Sociological Theories

Social Control Theories

Differential Association Theories

V. Sociological Theories

Family Relationships

Hard to use this to explain where one sibling becomes criminal and another is perfectly law abiding

VI. Political and Economic Theories

Rational Choice Theory

Conflict theory

VII. Conclusions

There is no one explanation of crime

Many of the explanations have some validity

Next Time

Begin discussion of law enforcement agencies