Three Schools of thought in criminology

• Classical Criminology- Anchored in the doctrine of free will and

hedonism and advocated by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham
• Neo-Classical Criminology- States that Children and lunatics should be
exempted from punishment
• Positivist Criminology- Anchored in the doctrine of determinism and
advocated by Cesare Lombroso, Rafaelle Garofalo, and Enrico Ferri.
 Criminological
Theory Important frame work for
• It is based on science Criminology
• Using systematic
method
• Empirical
• Objectivism
• Constructivism
• Subjectivism
 Steps in Construction and Formulation of a
Theory
1. Causal Relationship
2. Definition of Concepts
3. Relationship Between Concepts
4. Theoretical Concepts
5. Hypothesis Testing
6. Data Analysis
7. Generalization
8. Evaluation of Theory
How Theory Explains the human Behavior or
Performance
1. Concepts- Symbolic Representation of an actual thing, tree, chair, table,
computer, distance.
2. Assumption- Statement that is accepted as true without proof and
without necessarily being self-evident.
3. Generalization- Statement or proportion that indicates the mutual
relationship between two or more concepts.
• Assumption
• Hypotheses
• Principles
• Laws
 Learning Outcomes
• After discussing this topic the students will be able to:

1. Recognize and understand a range of ‘ etiological theories’ of crime that

seek to explain crime in some way, the diversity of such theories, and
some common features of different theories which link them together;
2. Understand and appreciate the application of various theories of crime;
3. Recognize and understand the implications that stem from the various
theories of crime, in term how the nature of society is understood, and
how crime should be responded to.