crim 102 - theories of crime causation

theory

a statement that explains the relationship between abstract concepts in a meaningful way (FREDA ADLER)

theory

a principle or a body of interrelated principles that purports to explain or predict a number of interrelated phenomena

theory

a set of logically related explanatory hypotheses that are consistent with a body of empirical facts and may suggest more empirical relationships

speculative (three stages of theory development)

attempts to explain what is happening

descriptive (three stages of theory development)

gathers descriptive data to describe what is really happening

constructive (three stages of theory development)

revises old theories and develops new ones based on continuing research

inductive reasoning

begins with observations that are specific and limited in scope, and proceeds to a generalized conclusion that is likely, but not certain, in light of accumulated evidence

moves from the specific to the general

gathering evidence, seeking patterns, and forming a hypothesis or theory to explain what is seen

deductive reasoning

starts with the assertion of a general rule and proceeds from there to a guaranteed specific conclusion

moves from the general to the specific application

abductive reasoning

retroductive reasoning

begins with an incomplete set of observations and proceeds to the likeliest possible explanation for the set

it yields the kind of daily decision making that does its best with the information at hand, which often is incomplete

conflict view

the law is a tool of the ruling class. crime is a politically defined concept. real crimes are not outlawed. the law is used to control the underclass

consensus view

the law defines crime. the law reflects public opinion. agreement exists on the outlawed behavior. laws apply to all citizens equally

interactionist view

moral entrepreneurs define crime. crimes are illegal because society defines them that way. the definition of crime evolves according to the moral standards of those in power

DAVID EMILE DURKHEIM

maintained that criminality is a normal factor rather than a pathological one

indicates that crime is found in all societies and that crime is normal because a society exempt from it is utterly impossible

maintains that crime is not only normal for society but that it is necessary, without crime there could be no evolution in law

DAVID EMILE DURKHEIM

one of the principal founders of modern sociology

claimed that society is a sui generis reality or a reality unique to itself and irreducible to its composing parts

DAVID ABRAHAMSEN

theory of the etiology of criminal acts

“crime is a product of the individual’s tendencies and the situation of the moment interacting with his mental resistance”

C = ? (Abrahamsen’s formula)

crime

T = ? (Abrahamsen’s formula)

tendencies

S = ? (Abrahamsen’s formula)

situation

R = ? (Abrahamsen’s formula)

resistance

school of thought

a term that refers to a group of beliefs or ideas that support a specific theory

theory

a set of statements devised to explain behavior, events, or phenomenon, especially one that has been repeatedly tested and widely accepted

demonological theory

crimes are believed to be caused by devil or other supernatural explanations

classical school

founded by CESARE BECCARIA

was developed in the 18th century in an attempt to reform the legal system and to protect the accused against harsh and arbitrary action on the part of the state

principle of manipulability

refers to the predictable ways in which people act out of rational self interest and might therefore be dissuaded from committing crimes if the punishment outweighs the benefits of the crime, rendering the crime an illogical choice

classical school

free will enables people to make choices

people have a rational manner and apply it toward making choices that will help them achieve their own personal gratification

classical school

the basis of criminal liability is human free will and the purpose of penalty is retribution

classical school

that the man is essentially a moral creature with an absolute free will to choose good and evil, thereby placing more stress upon the effects or result of the felonious act that upon the criminal himself

classical school

this school of thought is based on the assumption that individuals choose to commit crimes after weighing the consequences of their action

classical school

fear of punishment can deter them from committing a crime and society can control behavior by making the pain or punishment greater than the please of criminal gains

dei delitti e delle pene

on crimes and punishments

CESARE BECCARIA

he openly condemned the death penalty because the state does not possess the right to take lives and because capital punishment is neither a useful nor a necessary form of punishment developed in his treatise a number of innovative and influential principles

JEREMY BENTHAM

he admired BECCARIA’s work and believed that free will allowed people to make calculated and deliberate decisions related to the pursuit of their own happiness

principle of utilitarianism

“mankind is governed by two sovereign motives, pain and pleasure and the principle of utility recognized this state of affairs”

JEREMY BENTHAM

the object of all legislation must be “the greatest happiness of the greatest number”

hedonistic calculus

emphasized the principle that people have freewill to choose their behavior, those who violated the law were motivated by personal needs such as greed, revenge, survival, and hedonism.

felicific calculus

weighing of pleasure versus pain

classical school

its main principle is that “let the punishment fit the crime”

panopticon house/prison

it was to be a circular building with cells along the circumference, each clearly visible from a central location staffed by guards, constructed near or within cities so that it might serve as an example to citizens of what would happen to them should they commit crimes

presidio modelo (model prison)

was a former model prison of panopticon design, located on the isla de la juventud in cuba

panopticon

is a type of prison building designed by english philosopher and social theorist JEREMY BENTHAM

the concept of the design is that the cells are built at the edge of a circular building and a tower in the middle allows the watchmen to observe all cells from the same position

general deterrence

punishment of delinquents and criminal offenders will strike fear in the hearts of other people, thus making them less likely to commit acts of delinquency or crimes

specific deterrence

punishment will strike fear in the hearts of wrongdoers, thus making them less likely to offend others again

incapacitation

the simplest form of jurisdiction; wrongdoers should be locked up in jail since while they are imprisoned in an institution, they cannot commit offenses against other people in the outside world

retribution

this reason objects the idea that anything good or useful will follow or result from punishing offenders

neo classical school

it arose during the french revolution with the modification that children, lunatics, and others were not legally responsible for their actions

neo classical school

since classical school generalized that people have freewill, this school questioned that there are people who have the absence of freewill hence they must be exempted from punishment because they did not know what they were doing; they did not know what they did was wrong or what they did was the product of insanity

neo classical school

its fundamental notion is that “let the children and lunatic criminals be exempted from punishment”

positivist school

developed as an attempt to apply scientific methods to the study of the criminal while rejecting the legal definition of crime

positivism

a method of analysis based on the collection of observable scientific facts

positivist school

sometimes called as italian school of thought because of its composition which are mostly italians who agreed that in the study of crime the emphasis should be on scientific treatment of the criminal, not on the penalties to be imposed after conviction

CESARE LOMBROSO

an italian criminologist who founded the positivist school of thought and explained that criminals commit crimes because they are mentally ill, sick, and disturbed individuals; that is why they need to be treated instead of being punished

CESARE LOMBROSO

known as the FATHER OF CRIMINOLOGY

put his many years of medical research to use in his theory of criminal atavism; the idea that criminals manifest physical anomalies that make them biologically and physiologically similar to our primitive ancestors, savage throwbacks to an eralier stage of human evolution

CESARE LOMBROSO

FOUNDER OF CRIMINAL ANTHROPOLOGY

studied the remains of executed individuals who had been convicted of crimes and came with the THEORY OF BORN CRIMINAL which stated that criminals are a lower form of life, nearer to their apelike ancestors than non-criminal in traits and disposition

positivist school

school of thought that said that punishment should be replaced by a scientific treatment of criminals calculated to protect society

atavism

claimed a return to a primitive or subhuman type of man, characterized physically by a variety of inferior morphological features reminiscent of apes and lower primates, occurring in the simian fossil men and, to some extent, preserved in modern savages

atavism

the return of a trait or reappearance of previous behavior after a period of absence

atavistic anomaly

physically, their resemblances on the evolutionary scale to more primitive times where people were savages

born criminals

those that have pathological symptoms common with imbecile and the epileptic. LOMBROSO argued that if criminal behavior is inherited then this type of criminal could be distinguished by associated physical characteristics such as large jaws, high cheekbones, etc.

insane criminals

those who commit crime due to abnormalities or psychological disorders. this criminal type includes the alcoholic, kleptomaniac, nymphomaniac, child molester, and hysterical

criminaloids

one who commits due to less physical stamina/self control

occasional criminals

one who commits crime due to insignificant reasons that pushed them to do on a given occasion

pseudo criminals

one who kills in self defense

criminals by passion

individuals who are easily influenced by great emotions like fit of anger

RAFFAELE GAROFALO

he didn’t accept his teacher's (LOMBROSO) view regarding physical traits, rather he linked criminal behavior to a defect in their physiological make up

RAFFAELE GAROFALO

he traced the roots of criminal behavior not in the individual’s physical features but to their psychological equivalents, which he called “moral anomalies”

murderers

those who are satisfied from vengeance or revenge

violent criminals

those who commit very serious crimes

deficient criminals

those who commit crime against property

lascivious criminals

those who commit crime against chastity

ENRICO FERRI

a highly successful trial lawyer and perhaps italy’s greatest contemporary forensic orator, stated that “a person is legally or socially responsible for his actions by the fact that he is a member of society, not because he is capable of willing an illegal act”

ENRICO FERRI

argued that criminals should not be held morally responsible for their crimes because they did not choose to commit crimes but were rather driven to commit crimes due to economic, social, and political factors (moral responsibility)

ENRICO FERRI

he focused his study on the influences of psychological factors and sociological factors such as economics on crimes

born criminals

has congenital predisposition for crime

insane criminals

suffering from some clinical form of mental alienation

habitual criminals

on who has acquired the habit of crime mainly through an ineffective measures employed by society for the prevention and repression of crimes

occasional criminals

one who commits very insignificant criminal acts more because he is led astray by his conditions of life than because the aggressive energy of a degenerate personality impel him

passionate criminals

one who commits crime because of passion or revenge

positivist school

its main notion is that “let the punishment fit the criminal”

classical perspective

views crime as a product of situational forces; that crime is a function of freewill and personal choice

classical perspective

emphasized that the purpose of punishment is mainly to deter the occurrence of crime

swift, certain, and severe

the three principles of punishment that became the trademark of BECCARIA’s classical deterrence doctrine include ………

biological perspective

regarded crime as the product of internal forces. the focus of the perspective is mainly on the individual person itself. it may answer the question of why a person becomes a criminal. that crime is a function of chemical, neurological, genetic, personality, intelligence, or mental traits

process perspective

claimed that crime is a product of socialization or interaction of one person to another, and that crime is a function of upbringing, learning, and control. parents, teachers, environment, mass media, and peer groups may influence behavior. this concerns on how a person becomes a criminal

conflict perspective

stressed the causes of crime based on economic and political forces. crime is a function of competition for limited resources and power. law is a tool of the ruling class in order to control the lower class. it is designed to protect the wealthy people. crime is a politically defined concept.

biosocial perspective

sought to explain the onset of antisocial behavior such as aggression and violence by focusing on the physical qualities of the offenders. it concentrated mainly on the three areas of focus: biochemical (diet, genetic, hormones, environmental contaminants), neurological (brain damage), and genetic (inheretance)

psychological perspective

expressed that criminal behavior was the product of unconscious forces operating within a person’s mind and that conflicts occurring at various psychosexual stages of development might impact an individual’s ability to operate normally as an adult

developmental theory

it suggests that criminal behavior is a dynamic process influenced by individual characteristics as well as social experiences, and that the factors that cause antisocial behaviors change dramatically over a persons life span

latent trait theory

defined as a stable feature, characteristic, property, or condition, such as defective intelligence, impulsive personality, genetic abnormalities, the physical-chemical functioning of the brain and environmental influences on brain function such as drugs, chemicals, and injuries that make some people delinquency-prone over the life course

evolutionary theory

explains the existence of aggression and violent behavior as positive adaptive behaviors in human evolution. these traits allowed their bearers to reproduce disproportionately, which has had an effect on the human gene pool

CHARLES DARWIN

said that organisms evolve over generations through a process of natural selections

cheater theory

a theory under evolutionary theory which suggests that a subpopulation of men has evolved with genes that incline them toward extremely low parental involvement and become sexually aggressive who use their cunning to gain sexual conquests with as many females as possible

R/K selection theory

a theory under evolutionary theory which holds that all organisms can be located along a continuum based upon their reproductive drives

R - oriented people

reproduce rapidly whenever they can and invest little in their offspring

cunning and deceptive

K - oriented people

reproduce slowly and cautiously and take care in the raising of their offspring

more cooperative and sensitive to others

somatotyping theory

a theory which associates body physique to behavior and criminality

asthenic

ERNST KRETSCHMER

lean, slightly built, narrow shoulders

athletic

ERNST KRETSCHMER

medium to tall, strong, muscular, coarse bones

pyknic

ERNST KRETSCHMER

medium height, rounded figure, massive neck, broad face

WILLIAM SHELDON

according to him, people with predominantly mesomorph traits (physically powerful, aggressive, and athletic physiques) tend more than others to be involved in illegal behavior

endomorph

WILLIAM SHELDON

these people will have soft, fat, and round body, having predominance of abdominal region. they are sociable and relaxed (can be compared to pyknic type)

ectomorph

WILLIAM SHELDON

these are the people who are tall, thin, and flat chested, having the skin, bones, and neural structure predominantly. they are shy, reserved, and self conscious (can be compared with asthenic type)