Theories of Criminal Behavior

What do you think are the root

causes of crime?
 Explanation of Criminal
Behavior
• Moralism – evil ; sin
• Positivism – free will / choice
• Biological determinism – born bad
• Psychological determinism – childhood issues
• Social determinism – society made me do it
 Moralism
• Evil = Sinner
• Devil made them do it.
• Possessed with demons
• Trepanning – drilling a hole in the head to
“release the spirits.”
 Positivism – Free Will / Choice
• Classical School
The classical school sees crime as an exercise
of free will in pursuit of pleasure. People will
pursue what makes them happy, and avoid that
which causes them pain. Punishment, then,
should decrease the pleasure of crime.
Crimes is a matter of free will
 Positivism
• Cesare Beccarie –
1. Founder of Classical Criminology
2. Important because his theories began a new
era of thinking about criminology
3. Criminal Justice based on a social contract:
4. Logic, goal orientation, and humanistic
principles, Innocent to proven guilty, trial by
peers, right to appeal, equal treatment in the
eyes of courts,
 Positivism
Cesare Beccaria -
1. Precursor to American Justice system
2. Pain – Pleasure Principle
3. People seek to do things that cause them
pleasure, and avoid things that cause pain.
4. Swift punishment (pain) = less crime (no pain)
 Positivism
Jeremy Bentham.
1. Founder of neoclassical
criminology.
2. Similar to classical but children
under 7 and offenders suffering
from mental disease should not
be held liable for criminal
behavior.
3. Opposed to death penalty.
 Positivism
The Positive School
a. Theory that states the importance of the
scientific method to determine the factors
that contributes to criminal behavior.
b. Crimes committed due to uncontrollable
internal or external factors that can be
measured and observed.
 Biological determinism
1. Inherited predispositions toward
criminal behavior
2. Environment is first considered as a
element for possible reason for
criminal behavior
 Biological determinism
Franz Joseph Gail (1758-1828)
1. Human brain was a muscle.
2. Phrenology
1. Science of reading bumps on the skull to
identify character traits such as criminality
http://www.kshs.org/cool/coolhed2.htm
 Biological determinism
Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)
• Theory: Criminals did not fully develop
and they were closer to ape like.
• Atavism – criminals were a throwback
to primitive times
 Biological determinism
• Atavistic stigmata:
• Physical characteristic representing
earlier or prehuman stages of evolution,
that were believed to distinguish
criminals from others.
 Biological Determinism
Three types of criminal
1.Born criminals – born bad – failed to evolve
2.Insane criminals - Due to trauma to the brain
after birth became criminal (not born bad)
3. Occasional criminals – Crime as a trade
Women – by nature – revengeful, jealous, and
inclined to vengeance of a refined cruelty- when
a women committed a crime – her wickedness
was enormous - Lombrosso
 Biological Determinism
Somatotype school of criminology.
i. Body build was a link to the mind.
Three Types of body build.
Asthenic / Ectomorph – lean = Smarter.
Athletic / Mesomorph – Muscular =
Linked to criminal behavior.
Pyknic / Endomorph – Round = Happy.
 Athletic / Mesomorph

Pyknic / Endomorph
Asthenic / Ectomorph
Modern Biological Explanations
• Biocriminology – A new field in
criminology that encompasses modern
biological approaches to explain criminal
behavior. ( Genetic and neurophysiological
variables in criminal behavior.)
Modern Biological Explanations
• XYY chromosome theory – Normal males
have an XY chromosome . The XYY
Chromosome theory suggests that males
with the XYY chromosome pattern are
more violent. In a study of prisoners who
had committed violent crimes a correlation
was found between violent offenders and
the XYY chromosome. 1 in 1000 males
have the XYY chromosome.
 The Twinkie Defense

• In 1978, Dan White, a former San Francisco city supervisor who had recently
resigned his position, entered San Francisco City Hall through a basement
window, went upstairs, and shot and killed Mayor George Moscone and
Supervisor Harvey Milk. Psychiatrist Martin Blinder testified in court that
White had been depressed, which led to eating junk food: Twinkies and Coca-
Cola. This further deepened White's depression, since he was an ex-athlete and
knew that the food was not good for him. This was evidence of his depression
that prompted his murder spree. This celebrated diagnosis became known as
the "Twinkie defense.“ White's depression was used to establish grounds for a
successful diminished capacity plea; and therefore White was judged incapable
of the premeditation required for a murder conviction. Dan White was
convicted of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to was
sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison.
• Dan White was paroled on January 6, 1984
• On October 21, 1985, Dan White committed suicide by asphyxiation in the
garage of his wife’s home.
 Psychological Explanations
• Sigmund Freud
• Psychoanalytic Theory- behavior is not a
free-will choice but is controlled by
subconscious desires
• Id-Subconscious impulses / chaos
• Ego- Logical part of conscious mind
• Superego- Moral and value choices
 Personality Theories and
Psychopathic Behavior
• Criminal Personality
– Criminals
• have a different way of thinking
• Are angry people who feel a sense of superiority
• Have highly inflated self image
• Do not expect to be held accountable for their acts
 Social Determinism
• Criminal behavior is caused by social
factors and forces rather than by moral,
environmental, psychological, or biological
causes.
• Bad neighborhood = bad people
 Social Disorganization Theory
• Crime causation based on the assumption
that social conditions such as poverty,
unemployment, poor schools, and
substandard housing are significant factors
contributing to delinquency and crime
 Zone Theory
• Environmental theory of crime causation
based on the belief that structural elements
of society such as poverty, illiteracy, lack of
schooling, unemployment, and illegitimacy
are powerful forces that influence human
interactions
 Differential Association Theory
• Edwin Sutherland
– Criminal behavior is learned through
association with a peer group that engages in
criminal behavior
 Social Control Theory
• Crime causation based on the assumptions
that peoples belief in and identification with
the values of their society and culture
influence their behavior
• This theory bases itself on people
conforming to norms.
 Containment Theory
• Walter Reckless
– People are deterred from deviant behavior
because of the influence on individuals of both
internal and external social control factors
– Positive role models / others stops criminal
behavior
– Positive self concept / good self control stops
criminal behavior
 Neutralization theory
• Gresham Sykes and David Matza
– Criminals learn techniques that allow them to
rationalize their behavior, deny responsibility
for harm, and avoid being guilt ridden.
– Criminal feel bad for what they did,but have
learned to cope with it.
 Social Bond Theory
• Travis Hirschi
– Strong social and emotional ties to social values
and norms lessen the likelihood of deviant
behavior
– Four variables: Attachment, commitment,
involvement, and belief
 Labeling theory
• Frank Tannenbaum and Howard Becker
– People are strongly influenced by society’s
expectations of them
– Good boys are good
– Juveniles are criminals
 Strain Theory
• Robert Merton
– People are naturally law-abiding but resort to
crime when frustrated in finding legitimate
means to economic success
 Differential Opportunity Theory
• Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin
– Criminality stems from blocked opportunities
based on where one lives, who one knows, and
what skills, talents, and resources one has.
– Few opportunities in bad nieghborhoods
 Cultural Deviance Theory
• Crime is based on the assumption that
criminal behavior is learned through the
participation in deviant subculture or
countercultures within a society
• Norms of main stream society and
subcultures are different
 Reaction Formation
• Albert Cohen
– Lower class youth rejects middle class values
that they cannot attain and instead join
counterculture that express the opposite values
 Conflict Theory
• Criminal behavior is based on the
assumption that the sources of criminal
behavior are class conflict and social
inequality.
 Feminist Criminology
• Gender inequality lies at the heart of crime
in which women are the victims or the
perpetrators