THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION | LESSON 1

Theoria - viewing, thinking, reflecting

Greek word of Theory. What does it mean?

Theories of Crime Causation

Are abstract concepts that systematically describe the causes of crimes.

Demonology Theory

Earliest theory of crime causation that believes that criminals are possessed by evil spirits.

Classical School

Views crime as a product of free will, hedonism, and rational choice.

Hedonism

Known as the pain and pleasure principle

Utilitarianism

A philosophy made by Jeremy Bentham. Means the “greatest hapiness for the greatest number of people.”

Cesare Beccaria

Father of Classical School

Cesare Lombroso

Father of Modern Criminology

Jeremy Bentham

Founder of Utilitarianism and accredited as developer of Panopticon

Neo-classical school

Argued that children and lunatics are incapable of calculating pain and pleasure, therefore they should be treated differently.

Positivist or Itialian school

Views crime as a product of the internal and external factors which are beyond one’s control. Also proposed the idea of individualized treatment of offenders.

Dr. Cesare Lombroso

He studied prisoners’ anatomical disposition. Also published a book called “criminal mind”

Enrico Ferri

He argues that crimes aren't only caused by anthropological reasons, bug also sociological factors. He also coined the term “criminal sociology.”

Raffaele Garofalo

Conceptualized “natural crime.” Those conducts that offends the two basic moral sentiments - pity and probity.

Theory of Atavism

From Cesare Lombroso. Believes that criminals are identiable through physical anomalies.

Born Criminal

Those with atavistic characteristics.

Insane Criminals

Those with anatomical and biological abnormalities.

Criminals by Passion

Those who are triggered by emotional force such as love, anger.

Criminaloid

Those who are easily swayed to do evil

Epileptiod

Those who are suffering from epilepsy

Habitual criminal

Those who normally but later in develop an undesirable habit which influence him to commit lifetime criminality

Pseudo criminal

They only commit crimes when situation forced them to do so.

Physiognomy

Dubbed as face reading. The study of the person's personality traits based on facial appearance.

Phrenology/craniology

The study of the person's personality based on skull formation

Krretchmer’s Body Physique

Assumed that there is a link between the individuals physical makeup and personality temperaments.

Aesthenic/Ectomorph

Thin, with narrow shoulders.

Shy and timid.

Most likely to commit petty theft and fraud.

Pyknic/Endomorph

Rounded body.

Mood swings

Prone to commit fraud, deception and violence.

Athletic/Mesomorph

Muscular and strong development of skeleton.

Aggressive.

Prone to commit violence.

Dysplastic type

No desired body physique.

Prone to commit crimes against decency and morality.

Somatotypes

Defines as body types. By William Sheldon

Ectomorph

Are with Cerebrotonic Temperament

Endomorph

Are with Viscerotonic Temperament

Mesomorph

Somotonic Temperament

Karyotype Studies: The supermale

This theory is associated with aggressive behavior and crime to abnormality in chromosomal pattern lf a person.