Crime Causation: Key Concepts (Lecture Notes)

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering terminology, major theorists, schools of thought, and perspectives on crime causation from the notes.

Felony

A crime punishable under the Revised Penal Code.

Offense

A crime punishable by a Special Law.

Misdemeanor

A crime punishable by ordinance (minor offense).

Crime (general definition in notes)

A generic term that can refer to felony, offense, or misdemeanor depending on the law violated.

Sin (biblical view)

Crimes are sins from a biblical perspective; all crimes are sins, but not all sins are crimes unless punished by law.

Durkheim’s normality of crime

Crime is a normal, universal feature of all societies and is necessary for social order.

Durkheim on safety against crime

A society completely free of crime would require universal standardization of morals, which is neither possible nor desirable.

Abrahamsen’s theory (etiology of crime)

Crime results from the interaction of an individual's tendencies and the situational context with their resistance to temptation.

C = T + S + R (Abrahamsen formula)

Crime (the act) equals T (Criminal tendency) + S (Total Situation) + R (Resistance to Temptation).

Classical School

Founders include Beccaria and Bentham; crime is deterred by preventing it through rational choice and proportional punishment.

Cesare Beccaria

Italian criminologist who argued that preventing crime is better than punishing it.

Jeremy Bentham

English philosopher who promoted utilitarianism and free will in crime; punishments should maximize overall happiness.

Hedonistic calculus

Bentham’s method of weighing pleasure versus pain to guide decisions and laws.

Greatest happiness principle

The aim of laws is to achieve the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Nullum crimen sine lege

Doctrine stating there is no crime without a defined law.

Let the punishment fit the crime

Classical principle advocating that penalties should correspond to the seriousness of the offense.

Swift, Certain, Severe (punishment principles)

Three principles of Beccaria’s deterrence: punishment must be swift, certain, and severe enough.

Neo-Classical School

A modification of the Classical School that accounts for diminished responsibility (e.g., for children and lunatics) and argues for exemptions in some cases.

Children and lunatics exemption

Under Neo-Classical thought, individuals lacking full freewill (children, lunatics) may be exempt from punishment.

Italian or Positivist School

19th-century approach applying scientific methods to study criminals and crime, emphasizing determinism.

Cesare Lombroso

Father of Criminology; founded the Positivist School; linked criminality to biology and psychomotor anomalies.

Criminal atavism

Lombroso’s idea that criminals are evolutionary throwbacks with physical and behavioral traits similar to primitive ancestors.

Born criminal

Lombroso’s concept that some individuals are innately predisposed to crime.

Lombroso: Father of Criminal Anthropology

Lombroso studied remains of criminals to argue for biologically determined criminality.

Raffaele Garofalo

Italian criminologist who emphasized moral anomalies and redefined crime as violation of nature.

Crime as violation of nature

Garofalo’s idea that crime arises from deviations from human nature, not just law breaking.

Probity

Honesty and integrity; a moral trait Garofalo associated with crime definitions.

Pity

Compassion for others; a moral trait Garofalo associated with crime definitions.

Enrico Ferri

Italian positivist who argued crime is driven by economic, social, and political factors; responsibility is grounded in social factors.

Ferri: punishment should fit the criminal

Punishment should reflect the offender’s motivating factors and social context rather than only the offense's seriousness.

Let the punishment fit the criminal (Ferri’s view)

A principle from Ferri’s Positivist School emphasizing individualized punishment.

Summary of schools of thought

Classical, Neo-Classical, Italian/Positivist: debates on free will, determinism, and social factors in crime.

Perspectives of Crime Causation

Different frameworks for understanding crime: Classical, Biological, Process, Conflict, Biosocial, Psychological.

Classical Perspective (crime causation)

Crime results from free will and personal choice; punishment deters future crime.

Swift (Classical)

Punishment should occur quickly after the offense to be effective.

Certain (Classical)

Punishment should be certain; offenders must know they will be punished.

Severe (Classical)

Punishment must be sufficiently severe to deter the crime.

Biological Perspective

Crime arises from internal factors (chemical, neurological, genetic, personality, or mental traits) in individuals.

Kleptomania

A persistent neurotic impulse to steal, often without economic motive.

Process Perspective

Crime results from socialization: upbringing, learning, and control from parents, teachers, media, and peers.

Conflict Perspective

Crime stems from economic and political forces; law is a tool of the ruling class; crime is a political concept.

Biosocial Perspective

Explains antisocial behavior via biological factors combined with social influences.

Biochemical (Biosocial)

Diet, hormones, and environmental contaminants affecting behavior.

Neurological (Biosocial)

Brain damage or neurological factors influencing behavior.

Genetic (Biosocial)

Genetic inheritance contributing to antisocial tendencies.

Psychological Perspective

Criminal behavior arises from unconscious forces and conflicts in development.

Psychosexual development

Unresolved conflicts at psychosexual stages may affect adult behavior.

Unchecked aggressive impulse (Psychological)

Uncontrolled aggression may leak from the unconscious, leading to violence.