THEORIES OF

CRIME CAUSATION
MODULE THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION

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 MODULE THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO CRIME

AND CRIME CAUSATION

Objectives:
a) Understand the concept of crime and criminal behavior
b) Recognize the significance of criminology in crime
causation

CRIMINOLOGY

Criminology is defined as the scientific study of crime, criminals

and criminal behavior. Criminologist scientifically study the
following: the nature and extent of crime; patterns of criminality;
explanation and causes of crime and criminal behavior; and the
control of crime and criminal behavior (Glick, 1995). The term
“criminology” (from the Latin – crimen, accusation, and Greek –
logia, study) was coined in 1885 by Italian law professor Rafaelle
Garofalo as criminologia. (Wikipedia)

Criminology is the body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon. It

includes within its scope the process of making laws, of breaking laws, and of reacting
toward the breaking of laws. The objective of criminology is the development of a body
of general and verified principles and of other types of knowledge regarding the process
of law, crime, and treatment or prevention. (Sutherland & Cressey as cited by Adler,
Mueller & Laufer, 1995)

Criminology is the science which studies crime, forms of criminal behavior, the causes
of crime, the definition of criminality, and the societal reaction to criminal activity
(Sousa, 2008).

• Principal Divisions of Criminology (Tradio, 1999)

1. Criminology Etiology – an attempt at scientific analysis of causes of crime.
2. Sociology of Law – an attempt at scientific analysis of the conditions under
which penal or criminal laws develop as a process of formal social control
3. Penology – concerned with the rehabilitation and treatment of offenders.

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CRIME AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR

❖ Crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state

or other authority. Crime is any form of conduct
which is forbidden by the law under pain of some
punishment (Thorsten Sellin, 1931).

❖ Crime is any rational human conduct that

violates a criminal law and is subject to
punishment (Adler, Mueller & Laufer, 1995).

❖ Crime is defined as an act committed or

omitted in violation of a public law forbidding or
commanding it and for which punishment is
imposed upon. Crime is an act or omission prohibited by law. It is also defined
as an act that violates the law of the nation (Inciardi, 2005).

❖ Norm – any standard or rule regarding what human beings should or should not
think, say, or do under given circumstances (Bohm & Haley, 2002)

❖ Deviance – refers to the conduct which the people of a group consider so

dangerous or embarrassing or irritating that they bring special sanctions to bear
against the persons who exhibit it. It should be noted though that not all deviant
behavior is criminal behavior (Inciardi, 2005).

• Distinction Between Crime and Sin

o Crime – is an act or omission against the penal law of the state
o Sin – is an act or omission against the spiritual or divine law

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• Elements of Crime
1. Harm – for crime to occur, there must be an
external consequence or harm.
2. Legality – this has two aspects, first the
harm must be forbidden for a behavior to be
a crime, second a criminal law must not be
retroactive or ex post facto law.
3. Actus reus – this Latin term refers to
criminal conduct – specifically, intentional
or criminally negligent (reckless) action or
inaction that causes harm.
4. Mens rea – refers to criminal intent or guilty
mind.
5. Causation – refers to the causal relationship between the legally forbidden
harm and the actus reus.
6. Concurrence – this means that the criminal conduct (actus reus) and the
criminal intent (mens rea) must occur together.
7. Punishment – there must be a statutory provision for punishment or at least
the threat of punishment.

• Three Ingredients of Crime (Philippine

National Police)
1. Motive or Desire – This is the driving
force, the reason why the accused
committed the crime
2. Opportunity – It refers to the time and
place of the commission of the crime.
3. Instruments – These are tools employed
by criminals

• Formula of Crime Occurrence:

Motive + Opportunity + Instrument/s = CRIME

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 MODULE THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION
• CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR

Who is a Criminal?

Criminal refers to any person who commit or

omit crime and violates the law. They are also
persons who conduct or get involved in criminal
activity.

• Classification of Criminals

1. Acute criminals – they commit crimes due to

impulse of the moment, fit of passion, anger or
spell of extreme jealousy.
2. Chronic criminals – they are those who acted in
consonance with deliberate thinking.
3. Normal criminals – their psychic conditions
resemble that of a normal individual, except that
they identify themselves with criminal
prototypes.
4. Ordinary criminals – considered to be the
lowest form in the criminal career and engage
only in conventional crimes that require limited
skills.
5. Organized criminals – they have degree of organization to enable them to
commit crimes without being detected, with specialized criminal activities
operated in large scale.
6. Professional criminals – they are highly skilled
and able to obtain considerable amount of money
without being detected due to organization and
contact with professional criminals.
7. Accidental criminals – they commit criminal acts
as a result of unanticipated circumstances.
8. Situational criminals – they are not actually
criminals but commit crimes due to a given
situation.
9. Habitual criminals – they continue to commit criminal acts for diverse
reasons due to deficiency of intelligence and lack of self-control.

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10. Active-aggressive criminals – they commit crimes in impulsive manner
usually due to their aggressive behavior.
11. Passive-inadequate criminals – they commit crimes
because they are pushed to do it, by inducement,
reward, or promise without considering the
consequences.
12. Socialized criminals – they are normal in their
behavior but mere inadequate and defective in their
socialized process.

• Classification of Criminals (The Revised Penal Code)

1. Recidivist – is the one who, at the time of trial for one crime, shall have been
previously convicted by final judgement of another crime embraced in the
same title of RPC.
2. Quasi-recidivist – is one who commits another crime after having been
convicted by final judgement of a crime falling under either the RPC or Special
Law, before beginning to serve such sentence or while serving the same.
3. Habitual delinquent – is one who, within a period of ten (10) years from the
date of his release or last conviction of crimes of serious or less serious
physical injuries, robbery, estafa, or falsification is found guilty of any of the
said crimes for the third time or oftener.

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CRIMINAL ETIOLOGY

• Criminal Etiology – refers to the study of the causes of crime. It discusses the
different explanations to criminality including the theories and factors that
account for criminal behavior of a man. Criminal etiology tries to understand and
explain the causes why people commit a crime.

• Earlier Explanations of the Existence of Criminality

o Crime is caused by demon (Paganism Era).
Men violate social and religious practices because they
are possessed by demons or evil spirits.

o Crime is caused by divine will. Men manifest

criminal behavior because they are sinful. God is the
offended party when they commit crimes, and the
punishment is in a form of plagues, earthquakes, or
other forms of desolation.

o Crime is a matter of personal offense and retribution (Ancient World,

Early Greek Law). The earliest form of punishment was private revenge,
in which the victim or the victim’s kin retaliated for injury and the
community did not interfere.

o Crime is equal to sin (Middle Ages). Crimes and sins were treated as the
same substance and nature.

TITLE LINK
Criminal behaviour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLL2Wu63XQ
Biological theory
Criminological Classification
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMXvdomAc9A
of Criminals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
Intro to Criminology
tvL1dvWcFk&t=6s

Reference:
Alviola, A. (2014). Criminology and Psychology of Crimes. Philippines: Wiseman’s
Books Trading, Inc.
Alviola, A. (2012). Juvenile Delinquency. Philippines: Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc.

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