Posted: January 8th, 2023

Theories that explain criminal behavior

Theories that explain criminal behavior

Crime has existed since time immemorial. And in the inquest to understand and explain why people commit crimes, three theoretical frameworks have been developed. They include sociological theories, biological theories, and psychological theories. These theories seek to explain what drives offenders to commit crimes, factors that might influence their behaviors, and different methods that can be used to suppress and control criminal behaviors.

1. Sociological Theories

Sociological theories seek to establish a connection between criminal behavior with social, developmental, or economic factors. For instance, it is very likely for an individual raised in poor economic conditions to engage in crime. The argument is that stress, frustration, and inability to fulfill financial needs through legitimate ways forces them to commit crimes compared to people who can easily satisfy their financial needs through legitimate methods. A child raised in a violent environment is also more likely to develop violent behaviors. There is also substantial evidence that victims of childhood abuse are more predisposed to get into crime later during adulthood.

2. Psychological Theories

There are various psychological models of criminal behavior, such as the early Freudian notions, cognitive, and social-psychological theories. All these theories revolve around the assumption that the behavior of an individual is shaped by their personality. Criminality is, therefore, a result of abnormal and dysfunctional mental processes that define someone’s personality. An abnormal or inappropriate personality can be influenced by various psychological factors, including learning and improper conditioning during the early years of development, an unhealthy mind, or emulating behaviors from inappropriate role models. Psychological theories also assume that crime control based on the psychological principle focuses on an individual by targeting to reform criminal behavior. Such psychological interventions may involve retraining, therapy, or education.

3. Biological Theories

Biological theories of criminal behavior support the notion that criminal behavior results from an abnormality in the biological composition. These flaws could be caused by various factors such as genetics, where traits are transferred from parents to offsprings. Aggressive behaviors are also more dominant in males than in females.  Neurotransmitters in the brain can also result in an imbalance in the neurotransmitter system in the brain. Low serotonin levels, a chemical transmitter in the brain, has been linked to impulsive and aggressive behaviors. The abnormalities can also be due to improper brain development during the initial years of child development resulting from trauma or exposure to toxic substances like alcohol, drugs, and hard metals like lead.

Criminology is a complex subject that incorporates many approaches, particularly when trying to explain the causes of crime. And while the above three sets of theories try to category each behavior separately, human behavior is a product of complex interactions among many factors.

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