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Absolute Deprivation

Lack of basic resources necessary for survival.

Relative Deprivation

Feeling disadvantaged compared to others.

Aging-Out

The natural decline in criminal activity as individuals grow older.

Strain Theory

Explains that crime results from the pressure individuals feel when their goals do not align with available means.

Adolescence-Limited Offending

Offenders who exhibit criminal behavior during adolescence but stop as they mature.

Life-Course Persistent (LCP) Offending

Offenders who engage in persistent criminal activity throughout their lives.

Anomie

A state of normlessness often resulting from rapid social change or inequality, as described by Emile Durkheim.

Labeling Theory

The theory that self-identity and behavior of individuals may be influenced by the terms used to classify them.

Atavism

Cesare Lombroso’s theory that criminals are throwbacks to primitive evolutionary stages.

Autonomic/Vagal System Arousal

Studies the correlation between physiological responses like low vagal tone and criminal tendencies.

Choice Theory

Assumes individuals make choices based on weighing risks and benefits of crime.

Classical Theory

Emphasizes rationality and free will in human behavior, underpinning accountability in criminology.

Conflict Theory

Theory asserting that crime arises from social and economic inequalities.

Consensus Theory

Proposes that crime violates shared societal norms and values.

Cultural Criminology

Examines the cultural aspects of crime, focusing on symbolism and meaning in criminal behaviors.

Differential Association

A theory that criminal behavior is learned through social interactions.

Degradation Ceremony

A public process where an individual is denounced and labeled deviant.

Routine Activity Theory

Explains crime based on the convergence of three elements: motivated offenders, suitable targets, and absence of guardianship.

Social Bond

Refers to the connections individuals have to societal norms and values, influencing conformity.

Disintegrative Shaming

A type of shaming that results in exclusion from social groups.

Reintegrative Shaming

A type of shaming that encourages rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

Vagal Tone

A measure of heart rate variability, where lower levels are associated with higher criminality.

Moral Entrepreneurs

Individuals or groups that seek to impose their morality on others.

Hedonistic Calculus

A method of calculating the potential pleasure and pain resulting from an action.

Cumulative Continuity

Patterns of behavior that persist over time due to consistent feedback loops.

C. Wright Mills

Known for the concept of sociological imagination, linking personal troubles to societal structures.

David Matza

Associated with Drift Theory, suggesting individuals drift between conformity and deviance.

Terrie Moffitt

Known for her research on different types of offender trajectories: adolescence-limited and life-course persistent.

Social Disorganization Theory

Focuses on how place affects crime rates and deviance, often tied to poverty and instability.

Redemption Scripts

Narratives that individuals use to reframe their identities post-deviance.