The field of crime causation is complex and daunting. Throughout time, scientists, theorists, and philosophers have tried to understand the meaning of the concept of cause in relation to human behavior. Studies indicate that people are unaware of what causes their behavior as well as the behavior of others. Thus, it is not sufficient to ask people why they behaved the way they did. Instead, modern researchers offer a wide range of approaches to understand the causes of human behavior and actions. The approaches to crime causation fall in the following categories: biological, sociological, and psychological theories. In order to effectively address crime, it is vital to understand these approaches. This paper will delve into discussing biological, sociological, and psychological theories of crime causation. More specifically, the paper will provide an explanation of each theory as well as an evaluation of human behavior.
Biologically-based criminologists cite the presence of inherited traits as the main factor causing criminal behavior. The underlying assumption of biological criminologists is that crime is determined by an individual's biological makeup (Bryne & Hummer, 2016). Biological theories of crime causation try to examine the individual characteristics of people. Cesare Lombroso founded the biological theory of criminology, which asserts that there is a biological difference that makes individuals commit criminal acts (Bryne & Hummer, 2016). Today, Lombroso’s theory is explored in two major areas, namely, genetics and neuroscience.
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Based on twin studies, scientists believe that there are specific genes that could cause criminal activity. For example, an identical twin raised separately is more likely to both be criminals compared to non-twin siblings raised separately (Bryne & Hummer, 2016). Based on the fact that identical twin share all the same DNA and other siblings share part of their DNA, scientists claim that there is a “criminal gene,” in the human body the causes an individual to commit a crime (Bryne & Hummer, 2016). However, this “gene” has not yet been discovered. The second is area neuroscience, which refers to the study of the brain. As brain imaging techniques continue to improve as the technology advances, scientists are better mapping human brains as well as discovering differences in individual’s brains. So far, research reveals that there are some structural and chemical differences between the brain of criminals and non-criminals.
Sociologists view criminal behavior in the broader social context. The main point of sociological theories is that the environment or society an individual is raised or lives in contributes to the reason they commit a crime (Zembroski, 2011). Some of the social or environmental factors that contribute to the reason people commit crimes include “poverty, social disorganization, cultural deviance, and a breakdown of social informal controls ” (Bryne & Hummer, 2016). Sociological theorists claim that criminal activities cannot be reduced unless these issues are addressed first. Some of the sociological theories that have been developed to explain crime causation include Strain Theory, Labeling Theory, Cultural Deviance, and Social Learning Theory (Zembroski, 2011). In this paper, the Strain Theory will be discussed.
The Strain Theory focus on different aspects of criminal behavior, such as juvenile crime and gang formation (Zembroski, 2011). According to the Strain Theory, all these criminal behaviors share one common assumption: “some individuals are driven to crime out of the frustration living in the lower class communities” (Bryne & Hummer, 2016). Basically, according to this theory, crime is a function of people’s conflict between their means and goals and the ways they can obtain them. More specifically, Strain theorists argue that social and economic goals are what drives individuals to criminal acts.
Psychologists focus on individual problems or personalities to explain criminal behavior. More specifically, they examine the processes by which behavior and restraints on behavior are learned. One of the earliest psychological theories of crime is the Psychoanalytic Theory, which was developed by Sigmund Freud (Bryne & Hummer, 2016). According to Freud, the actions and behavior of an individual are understood based on the individual's childhood development (Bryne & Hummer, 2016).
Another psychological theory is the Social Learning Theory. According to this theory, people learn criminal from the people surrounding them (Moore, 2011). If a child or an individual is taught an act that is criminal, then the child or individual will grow to believe that the act is socially accepted. More to this, if an individual is faced with financial challenges and the challenge puts a strain on him/her, the individual will eventually turn to crime because he/she believes it will help address their financial issues. Basically, psychological theories of crime causation state that criminal behavior is caused by psychological factors (Moore, 2011). It is vital to note that these psychological factors can come from a psychological lifestyle. According to psychological theories, criminal behavior is a choice, and the choice is usually based on individual traits as well as society.
Out of all the theories on crime causation, I believe the sociological theories are the most valid. This is because the social environment influences most of the criminal acts that happen today. When an individual is raised watching criminal activities, the individual grows, believing that criminal activities are accepted in society. Basically, what an individual sees as he/she grows is what the individual is likely to do as he/she grows. An in today's society, the pressure of society is what makes individuals learn criminal behavior.
References
Bryne, J. & Hummer, D. (2016). An examination of the impact of criminological theory on community corrections practice. [Online]. Retrieved February 10, 2020, from https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/80_3_2_0.pdf
Moore, M. (2011). Psychological theories of crime and delinquency. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Vol. 21 (): 226-239.
Zembroski, D. (2011). Sociological theories of crime and delinquency. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Vol. 21 (): 240-254.
