Theories of Crime - Essay Example

The paper "Theories of Crime" is an excellent example of an essay on social science. Strain theory s that there are many social structures in society, which could lead an individual into committing a crime. These social structures can be grouped into three categories. The first is related to the nature of an individual’s relationship with others. When one has negative relationships with others in terms of not being consistent with how an individual believes should be treated, one tends to get depressed that can lead him or her to crime. The second category occurs when one takes away or threatens to take away one's positively valued stimulus. The third form of strain theory occurs when an individual experiences a negative stimulus.

Biological theories of crime state that people are made to commit crimes due to biochemical, genetic, and neurological imbalances. Psychological theories state that people are made to commit crimes as a result of personality imbalances that occurred in their childhood. Sociological theories state that individuals are made to commit crimes due to their interaction with others and their environment.
Psychological profiling is a tool that can be used by criminal investigation agencies in establishing the psychological state of the person committing a crime during the time of the crime. It is used in identifying the criminal being looked for by the investigation team.
The Chicago School of Sociology introduced the idea that people are not just born good or bad in their character – social situations, people, and some external forces that are found in their environment influence their character. Under this theory, they proposed the social disorganization theory, differential association theory, and social learning theory.
Numerous crimes are committed on a daily basis. This occurs due to the fact that in society, people face different problems that cause frustration, and sometimes depression. This occurs in all communities in the world. On the other hand, when people are exposed to violence especially in their early stages of life, their personality traits develop into considering criminology as something that is socially acceptable. They indulge in criminal activities as part of an acceptable lifestyle. Read More