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Chapter 2

Causes of
Crimes
Theory in Criminology

A. The study of crime, or criminology, is
rich with different philosophies as to why
people commit crimes.
B. Criminologists, or researchers who
study the causes of crime, warn against
using models to predict violent behavior.

What is a Theory?
An explanation of a happening that is
based on observation, experimentation
and reasoning.
What is a Hypothesis?
Is a proposition that can be tested by
researchers to determine if it is valid.
L.02

Exploring the
Causes of Crime
Choice theories
A. All decisions, including the decision to
commit a crime, are the result of
rational choice
B. Fear of punishment acts as a
deterrent
C. The more swift and certain
punishment is, the more effective it will
be as a deterrent

Classical Theorist
They believe that crime was an expression
of a persons rational decision making
process: before committing a crime, a
person would weigh the benefits of the
crime against the costs of being
apprehended

Can I do the time for the crime?
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham concurred in 1789,
asserting that man is governed by to
masters pleasure and pain, and that
punishment has four goals
a. To prevent all crime
b. When it cannot prevent crime, to assure
that the offender will commit a lesser crime
to avoid punishment
c. To give the offender an incentive not to
harm others in the pursuit of crime
To prevent crime at the least possible cost to
society

L.03
POSITIVISM AND
MODERN RATIONAL
THEORY

By the end of the 19th century,
positivism had emerged
Cesare Lombroso believed that criminals were
throwbacks to savagery of early humankind and
could therefore be identified by certain physical
characteristics such as sharp teeth and large
jaws
Lombroso asserts criminals do not have free
choice when it comes to offending, their
criminality is determined at birth
Positivist theories lost credibility in the 1970s when
crime rates began to climb

POSITIVISM AND MODERN RATIONAL
THEORY

According to positivism, criminal behavior
is determined by biological psychological,
and social forces and is beyond the
control of the individual.

Do you agree?
The theory that wrongdoers choose to commit crimes is
a cornerstone of the American criminal justice system

a. Because crime is the end result of choices,
policymakers have reasoned that severe punishment
can deter criminal activity

b. Supporters of the death penalty emphasize its
deterrent effects as do legislators using harsh
mandatory sentences

Scientists have focused on the effect that genes
have on behavior

a. Twin studies
The evil twin?



b. Adoption studies
Born into the good life
Born into the bad life

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