Identification: Sociobiological Theories of Deviance

According to Charles H. McCaghy in his book Deviant Behavior: Crime, Conflict, and Interest Groups (1985), while they differ, in which biological factor is emphasized, the approaches themselves fall into one of the following categories:

Evolutionary processes

These theories are concerned with the long-term development of specific behaviors over the course of many generations.

Genetic differences

These theories are concerned with how behavior is influenced by hereditary factors that are more immediate than those formed during evolution.

Neurophysiological differences

These theories concern a wide range of physiological factors that might influence human behavior.

Psychoanalytic theory

This is based on the work of Sigmund Freud and his followers.

Behavioral theories

People adjust and modify their behavior in response to the rewards and punishments elicited by their actions.

Containment theory

Reckless and Dinitz (1967) explained juvenile delinquency as the outcome of the children’s personality traits.