KRM 310(B) – UNIT 1
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
CRIME Conduct/failure to act in violation of law forbidding/commanding it with range of possible penalties
CRIMINAL BEHA VIOUR Behaviour in violation of criminal code CRIMINOLOGY Scientific study of crime
1) THEORIES OF CRIME
JUST-WORLDERS : believe things don’t happen to people without a reason that’s closely related to their own
actions (ex. believe a burglar deserved a severe penalty & victims didn’t protect their property)
Favour capital punishment & non-supportive of many social programmes intended to reduce economic
disparity between social groups
2 tracks of just-world theory: GENERAL JUST-WORLD: described above
PERSONAL JUST-WORLD: adaptive/helpful to cope with dire circumstances in life
SCIENTIFIC THEORY : set of interrelated constructs, definitions & propositions that present a systematic view
of phenomena by specifying relations among variables = to explain & predict the phenomena
THEORY VERIFICATION : process of theory testing result of FALSIFICATI ON if theory is not verified
Can be modified & retested to identify causes/precursors of criminal behaviour
MODEL : graphic representation of a theory/concept & designed to enhance its understanding
BECCARIA’S CLASSICAL THEORY : human behaviour driven by choice made weighing amount of pleasure
against amount of pain/ punishment (free will)
DETERRENCE THEORY : harsh sentences assume individuals choose to commit crime BUT may be persuaded
not to commit under the threat of being apprehended/punished
POSITIVISTS : antecedents (prior experiences/influences) determine how we will act
Positivists & deterministic perspective argues most criminal behaviour results from social, biological/
psychological influences
BIOLOGICAL POSI TIVIST S Sex, race & size of brain have influence on behaviour (Lombrosso)
SOCIAL POSI TIVISTS Human behaviour is governed by casual laws & free will is undermined
2) THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN NATURE
Humans are conformity creatures who want to do ‘right thing’ (humanistic perspectives = POSITIV E PSY CHOL OG Y )
Mer ton ’ s ST R A IN T HEOR Y : most society members desire what others do but access to goals not equally available
PERSPECTIVE
CONFORMITY
Crime/delinquency occur when there’s perceived discrepancy between materialistic values & goals
cherished by a society & availability of legitimate means for reaching these goals
Crimes of the rich = they continue to accumulate greater riches
A gn ew’ s G EN ER A L ST R A IN T HEORY : saw strains as events & conditions disliked by persons
Humans are undisciplined creatures who without rules of society would commit crime indiscriminately
NON-
SOCIAL CO NTRO L TH EORY : crime occurs when person’s ties to social order are weak = innate tendencies
CONFORMIST
must thus be controlled by society
PERSPECTIVE
Gottfredson’s SELF-CON TROL TH EORY : criminal behaviour occurs due to individual’s deficit of self-control
Humans are born neutral & learn behaviour, beliefs/tendencies of the social environment
Bandura ’s SOCIAL L EARNIN G TH EORY : highlight imitation of models & reinforcements 1 gains from behaviour
LEARNING
Sutherland ’s DIFFE RENTIA L AS SOCIATI ON T HEO RY : criminal behaviour is learned through social interactions (bad
PERSPECTIVE
company promotes bad behaviour)
DEVEL OPMEN TAL CRIMINO LOGY : changes over a person’s lifespan affect his/her behaviour
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
CRIME Conduct/failure to act in violation of law forbidding/commanding it with range of possible penalties
CRIMINAL BEHA VIOUR Behaviour in violation of criminal code CRIMINOLOGY Scientific study of crime
1) THEORIES OF CRIME
JUST-WORLDERS : believe things don’t happen to people without a reason that’s closely related to their own
actions (ex. believe a burglar deserved a severe penalty & victims didn’t protect their property)
Favour capital punishment & non-supportive of many social programmes intended to reduce economic
disparity between social groups
2 tracks of just-world theory: GENERAL JUST-WORLD: described above
PERSONAL JUST-WORLD: adaptive/helpful to cope with dire circumstances in life
SCIENTIFIC THEORY : set of interrelated constructs, definitions & propositions that present a systematic view
of phenomena by specifying relations among variables = to explain & predict the phenomena
THEORY VERIFICATION : process of theory testing result of FALSIFICATI ON if theory is not verified
Can be modified & retested to identify causes/precursors of criminal behaviour
MODEL : graphic representation of a theory/concept & designed to enhance its understanding
BECCARIA’S CLASSICAL THEORY : human behaviour driven by choice made weighing amount of pleasure
against amount of pain/ punishment (free will)
DETERRENCE THEORY : harsh sentences assume individuals choose to commit crime BUT may be persuaded
not to commit under the threat of being apprehended/punished
POSITIVISTS : antecedents (prior experiences/influences) determine how we will act
Positivists & deterministic perspective argues most criminal behaviour results from social, biological/
psychological influences
BIOLOGICAL POSI TIVIST S Sex, race & size of brain have influence on behaviour (Lombrosso)
SOCIAL POSI TIVISTS Human behaviour is governed by casual laws & free will is undermined
2) THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN NATURE
Humans are conformity creatures who want to do ‘right thing’ (humanistic perspectives = POSITIV E PSY CHOL OG Y )
Mer ton ’ s ST R A IN T HEOR Y : most society members desire what others do but access to goals not equally available
PERSPECTIVE
CONFORMITY
Crime/delinquency occur when there’s perceived discrepancy between materialistic values & goals
cherished by a society & availability of legitimate means for reaching these goals
Crimes of the rich = they continue to accumulate greater riches
A gn ew’ s G EN ER A L ST R A IN T HEORY : saw strains as events & conditions disliked by persons
Humans are undisciplined creatures who without rules of society would commit crime indiscriminately
NON-
SOCIAL CO NTRO L TH EORY : crime occurs when person’s ties to social order are weak = innate tendencies
CONFORMIST
must thus be controlled by society
PERSPECTIVE
Gottfredson’s SELF-CON TROL TH EORY : criminal behaviour occurs due to individual’s deficit of self-control
Humans are born neutral & learn behaviour, beliefs/tendencies of the social environment
Bandura ’s SOCIAL L EARNIN G TH EORY : highlight imitation of models & reinforcements 1 gains from behaviour
LEARNING
Sutherland ’s DIFFE RENTIA L AS SOCIATI ON T HEO RY : criminal behaviour is learned through social interactions (bad
PERSPECTIVE
company promotes bad behaviour)
DEVEL OPMEN TAL CRIMINO LOGY : changes over a person’s lifespan affect his/her behaviour
