Theories for Why Crime Occurs
Society has studied the origins of crime since ancient times. Criminologists have developed a vast array of theories to answer this question. The causes are likely multidisciplinary. Sociologists look at social activities and codes. Psychologists study the offender's mental condition. Economists look at the impact of poverty on the crime rate. None of these individual factors explain all crimes but sometimes indicate possible influences on its occurrence.
Other People Are Reading
-
Sociology
-
Sociologists study society. They investigate the codes, structures and belief systems of cultures as well as smaller social units such as the family. One popular sociological theory of crime asserts that the breakdown of the family has led to criminal activity because children lack authority figures to regulate their behavior. Another area of sociological inquiry looks at how social norms of a subculture influence criminal behavior. For instance, a study of a street gang might investigate how their social codes affirm loyalty to the group above adherence to law and order.
Psychology
-
Psychologists often believe that an individual's mental condition may predispose him to break the law. For instance, Sigmund Freud believed that criminals had disturbed personalities because they did not acquire proper impulse control during their childhood. Behavioral theory psychologists believed that following the law was the result of conditioning. Children should learn that bad acts result in punishment and good acts result in rewards. If they somehow are rewarded for deviant behavior, criminal tendencies will result. More recently, psychologist Hans Eysenck refined this theory by also considering the impact of biological factors such as variations in the arousal of neurotransmitters in the brain.
-
Economics
-
On the face of it, the economics of criminality seem logical. In an economy of scarcity, people break laws to survive. Someone robs a gas station when the rent is past due. Or someone else steals food out of hunger. However, the relationship between crime and economics is not always clear. For instance, in a 2010 New York Times article entitled "U.S. Crime Rates Fell Despite Economy," it was noted that U.S. crime rates declined between 2008 and 2009, even though the economy worsened significantly.
Biology
-
Biological theories of crime go all the way back to the 19th century, with Lombroso and his largely discredited science of phrenology. Back then, the shape and measurements of the head supposedly indicated an individual's predisposition to crime. Though criminologists have never identified an exact crime gene, some theories about crime have analyzed biological factors. For instance, criminologists have looked at how low levels of MAO (monoamine oxidase) in the brain cause offenders to seek out greater external stimulation. These "adrenaline junkies" may undertake various forms of high-risk behavior. While many of these activities are socially acceptable, such as bungee jumping, others may involve violent crime.
-
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
