Criminology - Theory Understanding Crime

Criminology - Theory

UNDERSTANDING CRIME

Assumptions, Variables, and Methodology:

comprehensive theory of crime would probably include elements of the major criminological perspectives and assume only that crime is caused by multiple contributing factors that combine to surpass the individual's existing control mechanisms at a given time. Therefore, biological predisposition, necessity, opportunity, social learning, and social class or position, would all be considered. On the other hand, a modern theory of crime might de-emphasize social strain theories and exclude class conflict theories. In the contemporary United States, class struggle is no longer a likely explanation for most crime, particularly since most violent crimes are committed by perpetrators who share their victims' relative social and economic status in society (Schmalleger, 2007).

The variables considered would include those particular to each proposed explanation for different types of crimes and particular to each perpetrator. They might include medical, psychological, and family history to the extent crimes suggest a biological influence; they might include details about the individual's exposure to deviant subculture to the extent crimes suggest a learned behavior; and they might include characteristics of the victim in relation to the perpetrator to the extent crime suggest a relevant difference in social class.

The general methodology would consist of tracking crimes by their characterization in terms of the causes and contributing factors to all crimes where causation is reasonably ascertainable. A comprehensive consideration of all crimes individually through the application of the various criminological perspectives to the individual crimes to which they seem to apply would provide a better overall explanation to crime instead of attributing all crime to any single theory that might pertain much more to some crimes than to others.

Toward a Comprehensive Theory of Crime:

Crime includes too many variables and potential causes to fit neatly into any single theory of criminology. Certainly, the reason that some individuals become criminals has to do with biological predisposition, particularly in the case of many crimes of violence. On the other hand, circumstances, greed, desperation, and opportunity also play an undeniable role in many crimes. Social class and exposure to deviant subcultures also contributes to criminal behavior (Henslin, 2002; Macionis, 2003), but even so, those risk factors do not affect everyone the same; therefore, those approaches also fail to explain crime in many cases (Henslin, 2002; Macionis, 2003).