Theories in Criminal Justice - Research Paper Example

 Theories in Criminal Justice Abstract Theories of criminal justice try to explain the reasons that cause people to engage in criminal behavior. These theories occur in four different forms including psychological, biological, sociological and rational choice. All these theories explain the causes of crime in different ways but some depend on each other. This paper explains in detail these four categories of criminology theories. It also discusses some of the major individual theories under these categories including Social Disorganization Theory, Lifestyle theory, Mednick’s Theory, Biosocial Arousal Theory, Gene-Based Evolutionary Theory the Super-Male Criminal Theory, Psychoanalytic Theory, Learning Theory and Cognitive Development Theory. Introduction Criminology mainly focuses on both the reasons why a law-abiding citizen would turn into a criminal and the mental proposition of a criminal (Cote, 2011). Since these studies started a long time ago, there has been development of several theories among the criminologists to answer these questions. On the other hand, there are likely to be multidisciplinary causes of criminal behavior (Lawrence, 2011). Criminology theory gives a scientific explanation on the reasons why people commit crimes. Although criminology theory has different elements, which try to stand alone to expound on criminal behavior, there has to be an interrelation of factors to give the true explanation. Among the four different elements of criminology theory are biological factors, psychological factors, sociological factors, and rational choice. It is necessary to understand each element for better understanding on a true explanation of criminal behavior (Strider, 2011). Conversely, the theories depend on logic to explain whether the criminal act is the result of a rational decision, internal predisposition or external aspects and why a person commits a crime. Consequently, it is through these theories that the judicial and law system is structured (Divico, 2011). Sociological Theories of Criminology The study of relationships between societal influences and crime depicts sociological Positivism. A study of social structures within an offender's environment for example peer groups, socioeconomic status, subculture, family and education level that causes his criminality is under sociological theory. Moreover, the theory tries to explain how an offender sticks to his environs, becoming a product of his environment and social learning. According to this concept, under certain circumstances like strain including poverty, a breakdown in family or moral values and family, stigmatization, community-justified crime and ongoing exposure to social disorganization in a criminal culture criminality is inevitable (Divico, 2011). The professionals who study society are sociologists. They examine smaller social units such as the family in addition to the codes, structures and belief systems of cultures. According to one famous sociological theory, family breakdown raises the criminal activities because children lack authority persons to control their behavior. The effect of social norms of a subculture on criminal behavior is another area of sociological inquiry. A god example is a study on how social codes establish loyalty to the group above adherence to law and order among the street gang (Lawrence, 2011). Although it is quite a task to comprehend the sociological element of criminology theory, it is evident that criminal behavior is inevitable due to the social institutions and structures. For instance, because of the belief that wealth is the final goal the poor people could steal (Strider, 2011). Social disorganization is one of the major types of sociological theories. Social Disorganization Theory The main goal of the theories under the umbrella of social disorganization is to predict and identify trends in criminal or unusual behavior among groups within a social network. The main reason for this is to deal with criminal activity and the variables that might foretell undesired behavior within a community. According to this theory, crime and delinquency is high in communities with failed communal institutions like church, family, schools and local government. Moreover, this theory asserts that communal relationships emphasize a sense of community responsibility, concern for the social network within a close area and positive behavior. It is the failure or nonexistent of these communal relationships that social network lacks a sense of organization and social responsibility, which can cause negative or even criminal behavior spreading through that area (Hardy, 2011). Choice or Rational theories of Criminology The rational theory describes the criminal’s drive to commit a crime as a firm decision with the aim of personal benefits in the form of ego-boosting reasons like power, money, learning or status. Additionally, the rational cause theory claims that it is only after examining the consequences, options and gains that the offender makes a choice to commit a criminal act. It is after examining that the criminal will consciously plan the crime by picking the type of crime, target of the crime and location of the crime, he then carries out the crime fully aware that it is wrong but chooses to do otherwise (Divico, 2011). This theory believes that people makes a choice to commit a crime either because the crime gives a pleasure or because it is easier than obeying the law (Strider, 2011). However, the choice perspective does not focus on the correlates of crime beyond the celerity, harshness, and certainty of legal punishment. Consequently, it is likely to be true that some individual-level properties influence the possibility that people will commit crimes without affecting their relative propensities to commit crime that is, their criminality. For instance, there is a strong relationship between age and arrests but differences across people in the chances of arrest remain reasonably stable over long periods. Conclusively, one can say that age should be of special interest to choice theory since it is a situational rather than an offender variable (Hirschi, 2010). In this regard, the main choice theory of criminology is the lifestyle theory. Lifestyle theory This theory claims that there is reduced victimization with the change of life choices. For instance, a person can stop going to bars when he changes friends or moves to a rural area. Consequently, there are reduced chances of this person becoming a victim. In short, lifestyle changes can decrease crime risk. The theory claims that the basis of crime is the victims deliberating putting themselves in harm's way by associating with those situations or people prone to crime. For example, the home of a person who often go to bars is often empty, and the car in places where drunk people gather. The reality of victimization in the person’s choices occurs in lifestyle theory. Therefore, the basis of crime whether is commission or victimization is upon the choices of both groups. Mixing with the wrong people and in the wrong situations can put people in dangerous position (Johnson, 2011). Biological theories of Criminology Biological theories of criminology deem that some people are born-criminals. The assertion is that most offenders have a strong tendency of engaging in criminal behavior mainly because of a biological trait rather than choice. These theories take a purposeful and scientific strategy aiming to evaluate causes of crime by examining various physiological aspects that might cause criminality. These aspects may include hormonal disproportions, genetic factors, vitamin deficiencies as well as diet (Divico, 2011). In general, biological theories in criminal justice address the evolutionary and genetic impacts on delinquency. Tin addition, the biological theories examine societal and human gene changes transferred from generation to generation. In this regard, geneticists concentrate on personal attributes and the interaction of genes with the surrounding, while evolution handles the larger scale and the entire transformation of species over an extended period (Bakker, 2006). Although criminologists have never established a precise crime gene, some theories concerning criminal behavior have evaluated biological aspects. For example, researchers have examined how reduced levels of MAO (monoamine oxidase) in the brain trigger criminals to hunt for greater outdoor stimulus. These "adrenaline junkies" might engage in different forms of criminal activities. Some of the actions that occur because of this might be socially tolerable, for instance bungee jumping but other actions might be very risky and aggressive (Lawrence, 2011). In contemporary studies, the research of biological causes of criminality centers on indirect connections to criminal behavior. For instance, various studies indicate that there is a strong correlation between aggressive behavior, which causes crime, and disparities in the brain's manufacture of neurotransmitters. In addition, studies also indicate that there may be a possibility of differences in the brains of criminals and non-offenders (Strider, 2011). The biological theories of criminology also assert that there is a very strong link between mental disorders and criminality. Paranoid schizophrenia, one of the major mental disorders, sometimes occurs in tremendous aggression. The link of mental illness and criminal behavior is a biological factor because there is a biological inclination for many mental disorders. Although most mental disorders occur or accelerate due to some environmental conditions, the root cause of such disorders is in the defective neuroanatomy of the person's brain. This defection can cause criminal behavior in a great way (McIndoe, 2011). Other biological factors that might cause criminal behavior include hormones. This is because various hormones greatly affect the emotions and feelings of an individual, which influences delinquency. In addition, extreme hormonal disproportions can accelerate or cause severe violence, which might occur in acts of theft or property destruction. Moreover, hormonal imbalances might trigger some behaviors such as sexual harassment. In this regard, some countries impose chemical castration as a chastisement for convicted sex criminals (McIndoe, 2011). The major biological theories concerning criminology include Mednick's Theory, Biosocial Arousal Theory, Gene-Based Evolutionary Theory and the Super-Male Criminal Theory. Mednick's Theory and Biosocial Arousal Theory Mednick's Theory involves the offender's acquiring of an autonomic nervous system that has limited sensitivity to external stimulus. This means that some people are slower than normal at learning to contain violence or criminal behavior. In addition, such individuals will take an extended time before they are able to handle their actions, hence are more likely to engage in severe criminal behaviors. On the other hand, the Biosocial Arousal Theory suggests a mixture of biological inclination to delinquency and the succeeding incapability to handle certain environmental stimuli. This theory implies that there is a direct link between a person's level of stimulation and his delinquency. In this regard, a person with a reduced stimulation is less likely to learn option of coping with his emotions of hostility and aggression (Cote, 2011). Gene-Based Evolutionary Theory and the Super-Male Criminal Theory Gene-based evolutionary theory centers on the genetic substance of an offender passed down through natural selection. This means that as offenders survive by maneuvering the unusual in their favor by flouting lawful commands, they will more probably survive passing on their genetic tendencies to engaging in delinquency to their children. The Super-Male Criminal Theory also occurs in hereditary disposition. Conversely, it concentrates on the chromosomes of the person. In this regard, while women display two X chromosomes to determine their biological gender, males display an X and Y chromosome. In the case of Super-male criminals, they have an additional Y chromosome. The assertion of this theory is that due to this additional chromosome, such males are more susceptible to engaging in criminal behavior and violence (Cote, 2011). Psychological Theories of Criminology The Psychological theories of criminal behaviors assert that some people engage in criminal behavior due to various personality and conduct behaviors as well as mental disorders. These personality and mental disorders include bi-polar disorder, depression, disruptive personality disorder, schizophrenia, neuroticism, psychopathic and personality. Psychological theories of criminology investigate criminal behavior as an effect of an internal and inevitable cause versus that of a rational choice (Divico, 2011). Some psychological theories deem that most offenders portray distressed personalities since they did not obtain appropriate impulse control in their childhood. In addition, behavioral theory psychologists assert that adhering to the law is due to conditioning. If there is a tendency of praising or rewarding deviant behavior, delinquency will result (Lawrence, 2011). Strider (2011) adds that psychological theories of crime deem delinquency as a learned behavior, just like any other behavior. This learning occurs sometimes through family contacts, from media and from criminal groupings. The major psychological theories include Psychoanalytic Theory, Learning Theory and Cognitive Development Theory. Psychoanalytic Theory and Learning Theory Psychoanalytic theory indicates that the major factor causing delinquency is defective identification by a child with her or his parents. Such a child becomes inappropriately socialized, a situation that may pressure the child to engage in criminal behaviors. This is due to the development of a character disorder that directs the child to antisocial impulses. On the other hand, the foundation of learning theory is in the codes of behavioral psychology. Behavioral psychology deems the learning and upholding of an individual’s behavior as an effect of its outcomes, or repayment value. These outcomes may be external support that happens as a direct result of their actions, explicit strengthening that happens by observing the actions of others, and self-regulatory means (Flowe, 1996). Cognitive Development Theory This theory asserts that criminal behavior results from the manner in which individuals systematize their thoughts concerning ethics and the law. When children are at their initial levels of moral development, they are very submissive to avoid chastisement. This tendency changes when they develop and become adults. When adults, individuals respect the laws of the social system but they are free to acting as means of transformation to advance the existing law and order. People who do not adequately go through this line of moral development become violent and engage in criminal behavior (Flowe, 1996). Bakker (2006) recommends that there is need of a proper integration of all the different criminology theories. This is because some theories depend on the other. For instance, the psychological theories depend on biological theories in that some personality disorders occur due to some biological factors. In addition, an integrative system is significant in criminological theory since studies have constantly indicated that there are manifold factors causing delinquency. Conclusion Theories in criminal justice occur as choice theories, sociological theories, psychological theories as well as biological theories. All these theories try to explain the causes of criminal behavior but in different aspects. However, individual theories alone cannot explain crime but there is an integration of the different theories. This implies that the actual causes of criminal behaviors do not entirely lie on any of the four categories of criminology theories. There is a possibility of a combination of two or more theories causing certain criminal behaviors. References Bakker, E.Z. (2006). Nature versus Nurture: A Criminological Perspective. Retrieved from Cote, M. (2011). What Are the Biological Theories of Criminology? Retrieved from Divico, T. (2011). What Are the Four Choice Theories of Crime? Retrieved from Flowe, H. (1996). Psychological and Sociological Theories of Crime. Retrieved from Hardy, C.L. (2011). Social Disorganization Theory. Retrieved from Hirschi, T. (2010). On the Compatibility of Rational Choice and Social Control Theories of Crime. Retrieved from Johnson, W. (2011). What Is the Lifestyle Theory in Criminal Justice? Retrieved from Lawrence, N. (2011). Theories for Why Crime Occurs. Retrieved from McIndoe, J. (2011). Biological Influences on Criminal Behavior. Retrieved from Strider, C. (2011). Five Interrelated Components of Criminology Theory. Retrieved from Read More