CRIM 2

(THEORIES OF CRIME
CAUSATION)

Prepared by: LMGK

DEMONOLOGICAL THEORY
 There was a general belief that man by nature is simple and his actions are
controlled by some superpower. It was generally believed that a man
commits crime due to the influence of some external spirit called demon or
devil. Thus, an offender commits a wrongful act not because of his own free
will but due to the influence of some external superpower.
 The prehistoric forms of tribunal and punishment is what is commonly
known as the “trial by ordeal”.
 Trial by Ordeal- It is an ancient form of determining the guilt or innocence
of criminals by subjecting them to a test which usually involves suffering. It
is believed that the person who survives the trial without pain is innocent
because of the “divine intervention” whereby the deity protects the
guiltless
FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY
 A. CLASSICAL THEORY/CLASSICAL SCHOOL OF CRIMONOLOGY
 Classical theories of crime causation hold primarily that the people’s decision
to commit crime is a matter of choice. Because it was assumed that people
had free will to choose their behavior those who violated the law were
motivated by personal needs such as greed, revenge, survival, and
hedonism(the belief that people choose pleasure over and avoid pain).
 Cesare Beccaria (Cesare Bonesara Marchese de Beccaria) with Jeremy
Bentham (1823) who proposed “Utilitarian Hedonism”, the theory, which
explain that a person always act in a such a way as to seek pleasure and avoid
pain, became the main advocates of the Classical School of Criminology.
 • In his “Essay on Crimes and Punishment”, Beccaria presented his key ideas
of Classical theory of moral creature with absolute free will to choose
between good and evil therefore there is placed upon the criminal himself,
that every man is responsible for his act.
FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY
 B. THE NEO-CLASSICAL SCHOOL OR THEORY
 The criticisms against the classical school led to the foundation of the Neo-Classical
school of criminology. Under the neo-classical doctrine, there are situations of
circumstances that made impossible to exercise freewill are reason to exempt the
accused from conviction. The Classicist maintained that human are totally
responsible for their actions. The Neoclassicist said “not always”. The neoclassical
school does not represent any brake with the classical view of human nature.
 • The neoclassical school does not represent any break with the classical view of
human nature. It merely challenges the classical position of absolute freewill.
Because of this, it led also to the preposition that while the classical doctrine is
correct in general, it should be modified in certain details:
 1. That children and lunatics should not be regarded as criminals and free from
 punishment.
 2. It must take into account certain mitigating circumstances.
FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY
 B. POSITIVIST/ITALIAN SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY
 The positivist school originated in the 19th Century in the context of the
“scientific revolution”. The positivist rejected the harsh legalism of the
classical school and substituted the concept of “free-will” with the
doctrine of “determinism.”
 • Determinism – the belief that all events are caused by things that
happened before them and that people have no real ability to make
choices or control what happens.
 • The school that composed of Italians who agreed that in the study of
crime the emphasis should be on scientific treatment of the criminal not
on the penalties to be imposed after conviction.
 It maintained that crimes as many other actions a natural phenomenon
and is comparable to disaster or calamity. That crime as a social and
moral phenomenon which cannot be treated and checked by the
imposition of punishment but rather rehabilitation or the enforcement of
individuals measures.
 FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY
 MAIN PROPONENTS OF POSITIVIST SCHOOL

 1. CESARE LOMBROSO
 - Cesar Lombroso (1936-1909) - The Italian leader of the positivist
school of criminology, was criticized for his methodology and his
attention to the biological characteristics of the offenders, but his
emphasis on the need to study offenders scientifically earned him the
“father of modern criminology.”
 -His major contribution is the development of scientific approach to the
study of criminal behavior and to reform the criminal law. He wrote the
essay entitled “CRIME”: Its Causes and Remedies” that contains his key
ideas and the classification of criminals.
FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY
 CLASSIFICATION OF CRIMINALS BY LOMBROSO
 1. Born Criminals- there are born criminals according to
Lombroso’s, the belief that being a criminal behavior is inherited.
 2. Criminal by Passion- are the individuals who are easily
influenced by great emotions like fit or anger.
 3. Insane Criminals- are those who commit crime due to
abnormalities or psychological disorders. They should be
exempted from criminal liability.
 4. Criminoloid- a person who commit crime due to less physical
stamina/ self-control.
 5. Occasional Crime- are those who commit crime due to
insignificant reasons that pushed them to do in a given occasion.
 6. Psuedo-Crimimals- are those who kill in self-defense.
 FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY
 2. ENRICO FERRI
 He was best known Lombroso’s associate, parliamentarian accomplished
public lecturer, brilliant lawyer, editor and scholar.
 Although he agreed with Lombroso on the biological bases of criminal
behavior, his interest in socialism led him to recognize the importance of
social, economic, and political determinants.
 His greatest contribution was his attacked on the classical doctrine of freewill
- which argued that criminals should be held morally responsible for their
crimes because they must have made a rational decision to commit the crime.
 He believed that criminals could not be held morally responsible for their
crimes because they did not choose to commit crimes but, rather, were driven
to commit them conditions in their lives.
 He also claimed that strict adherence to preventive measures based on
scientific methods would eventually reduce crime and allow people to live
together in society with less dependence on penal system.
FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY
 3. RAFFAELE GAROFALO
 Influenced on Lombroso’s theory of atavistic stigmata (man’s
inferior/ animalistic behavior), he traced the roots of criminal
behavior not to physical features but to their psychological
equivalents, which called “Moral Anomalies”. According to his
theory, naturals crimes are found in all human societies,
regardless of the views of the lawmakers, and no civilized society
can afford to disregard them. Natural crimes, according to his
Garofalo, are those that offend the basic moral sentiments of
probity(respect for property of others) and pity (revulsion against
the infliction of suffering on others.)
 RATIONAL CHOICE PERSPECTIVE
 A. RATIONAL CHOICETHEORY
 The rational choice theory is based on the “expected utility” principle in
economic theory.
 Expected Utility Principle - This states that people will make rational decisions
based on the extent to which they expect the choice to maximize their profits
or benefits and minimize the cost or losses.
 Rational choice - It is defined to mean the process of determining what options
are available and then choosing the most preferred one according to some
consistent criterion.
 This theory proposes that crime commission is the result of the actor’s
calculation of the opportunity, reward and the risk of detection and
punishment. The actor chooses the activity that offers the best return.
 RATIONAL CHOICE PERSPECTIVE
 Elements of Rational Choice:
 a. Opportunity
 ** Is this place and time suitable for me to commit a crime?
 b. Reward
 ** Is the object of crime valuable enough? Is it worth the risk?
 c. Risk of Detection and Punishment
 ** Are there security agents or police officers around? Can anyone
see me? Are there CCTV’s installed? Can police officers apprehend
me? Can I reason my way out of punishment?
 ROUTINE ACTIVITY THEORY
 Routine Activity Theory (RAT) was initially developed by Lawrence Cohen and
Marcus Felson in the late 1970s (Cohen and Felson 1979).
 According to RAT, for a crime to occur, three things must coincide at the same
place and time: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of capable
guardianship.
a. The availability of suitable targets, such as
homes containing easily saleable goods.
b. The absence of capable guardians, such as
police, homeowners neighbors friends, and
relatives.
c. The presence of motivated offenders,
such as a large number of unemployed
teenagers.
 DETERRENCE THEORY
 Deterrence in relation to criminal offending is the idea or theory that the
threat of punishment will deter people from committing crime and reduce the
probability and/or level of offending in society.
 There are two main goals of deterrence theory:
 Specific/Individual deterrence - where the aim of punishment is to discourage
the offender from criminal acts in the future. The belief is that when punished,
offenders recognise the unpleasant consequences of their actions on
themselves and will change their behaviour accordingly.
 General deterrence - where the intention is to deter the general public from
committing crime by punishing those who do offend. When an offender is
punished by, for example, being sent to prison, this sends a clear message to
the rest of society that behaviour of this sort will result in an unpleasant
response from the criminal justice system. Most people do not want to end up
in prison, so they are deterred from committing crimes that might be punished
in this way.
 BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY
 Broken Windows as a theory was developed by sociologists James Wilson and George
Kelling in the 1980s. It states that when low level crimes like vandalism (e.g., breaking
windows of cars and buildings) are ignored, larger and more serious crimes starting to
happen soon. They proposed that policing minor offenses such as loitering,
panhandling, prostitution and graffiti, might reduce more serious crime. Their idea
turned on the relationship between the appearance of disorder and the actual amount
of disorderly behavior in society: if a window in a building is broken and left
unrepaired, all of the windows will soon be broken” (Shelly, 2018). Heinous crimes
would likely to happen if minor offenses like snatching left unresolved by law
enforcement authorities. This theory suggests for an immediate solution to a problem
even how minute it is avoid the occurrence of a bigger or more complex problems.
 The broken windows theory is a criminological theory that states that visible signs of
crime, anti-social behavior, and civil disorder create an urban environment that
encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes. The theory suggests
that policing methods that target minor crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and
fare evasion help to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing
more serious crimes.
 VICTIM PRECIPITATION THEORY
 Viewed that some people may initiate the confrontation that eventually leads
to their injury or death. It was presented by Hans Von Henting and applies only
to violent victimization. Its basic premises is that by acting in certain
provocative ways some individuals initiate a chain of events that leads to their
death. A wife who was able to kill her husband because he kept on beating her
every time he got drunk is one example. The husband became a victim in this
case since the wife just acted on self-defense.
 Active precipitation occurs when victims act provocatively use threats or
fighting word or even attacks the offenders first. For example, a person shouts
and utters profane language at his enemy , however the latter has a knife and
thus he stabs the former to death.
 Passive precipitation occurs when the victim exhibits some personal
characteristics that unknowingly either threatens or encouragers the attacker.
For example, Tom who has tattoos all around his body maybe a threat to
somebody especially when Tom is drunk. Even enough he did nothing wrong to
the other person.
 LIFESTYLE THEORY
 The main concepts of lifestyle theory is that people may become
crime victims because their lifestyle increases their exposure to
criminal offenders.
 Lifestyle theory presents that a person may become a potential
suspect because of potential target. For example, if Frankel a call
center agent who is travelling every night to her place of duty to
her house maybe prone to becoming a victim of robbery or rape
because she is always expose to delinquents who are usually
attacking during nighttime.
 Walking alone at night in a dangerous area, conspicuously wearing
expensive jewelry, leaving doors unlocked and associating with
known criminals are other lifestyle characteristics that may lead to
victimization.
 INCAPACITATION THEORY
 Stands to reason that if more criminals are sent to prison or
keeping known criminals out of circulations the crime rate should
go down. This theory supported the idea of imprisoning the
criminals.
 BIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIME
 Biological
theories of crime assume a person’s biological
characteristics predetermine criminal behaviors.
 Biologicaltheories of crime focus more on the biological
factors influencing a person's behaviors.
 Forinstance, brain structure abnormalities associated
with criminal or violent behaviors.
 Aretheir genes the cause of their delinquency? Can we
spot criminals based on physical features? Various theories
explore the biological aspects of criminal behavior.
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 Cesare Lombroso was an early and famous proponent of the idea that criminal offenders are
'born criminals. He also believed that by conducting research on criminals in accordance
with the scientific method, one could determine who is most likely to commit crimes in the
future.
 Simply put, biological determinists argued that criminals are 'born,' rather than 'made'
through their interaction with other social processes and contexts. From this perspective,
biological determinists argued that your family history, including criminal histories and
problematic medical and mental health histories, determined whether or not you would be
a criminal.
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 Heredity and Crimes -Early biological theorists believed that
criminality was an inherited trait passed on in the genes. Although
this view has long lost popularity, many modern criminologists are
still interested in the role of genetics.
 The methods are employed to test the proposition that criminality
was inherited are the following:
 A. Family Studies
 In this method, the family known to have many criminals was
compared with a family free of criminals.
 Some studies were conducted to prove that children of criminal
parents are more likely to become law violators than children of
conventional parents. They are as follows:
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 1. The Study of the Juke Family (Richard Dugdale)
 The Juke family consisted of 6 girls, some of whom were
illegitimate. One of them, Ada Juke, was known as the
“Mother of Criminals”. Dugdale traced the 1,200
descendants for 75 years and found 280 paupers, 60
thieves, 7 murderers, 40 other criminals, 40 with sexual
diseases, 300 infants prematurely born, 50 prostitutes,
and 30 who were prosecuted for bastardy.
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 2. The Study of Kallikak Family (Henry Goddard)
 Martin Kallikak was an American Revolutionary war soldier.
While stationed in a small village, he met a feebleminded
girl and had illicit relation with her About 489 descendants
from this lineage were traced which included 143
feebleminded and 46 normal. 36 were illegitimate, 3
epileptics, 3 criminals, 8 kept brothels, and 82 died in
infancy.
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 3. The study of Sir Jonathan Edwards’ Family
 SirJonathan Edward was a famous preacher during the
colonial period. When his family tree was traced, none of
the descendants was found to be criminal. Rather, many
became presidents of the United States, governors,
members of the Supreme Court, famous writers,
preachers, and teachers.
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 B. Twin Behavior Studies
 The logic of this method is that if there is greater similarity in
behavior between identical twins than between fraternal
twins, the behavior must be due to heredity.
 In the 1920’s,Johannes Lange studied 30 pairs of same sex
twins - 13 identical and 17 fraternal twins. He found out that
one member of each pair was a known criminal. Moreover,
both twins in 10 of the 13 pairs of identical twins were
criminal; 2 of the 17 pairs of fraternal twins were both
criminal. This showed a significant relationship between the
criminal activities of identical twins and much lower
association between those of fraternal twins.
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 C. Adoption Studies
 This method compared the criminal records of adopted children
who were adopted at relatively early age with the criminal records
of the adopted parents. Several studies indicate that some
relationship exists between biological parents’ behavior and the
behavior their children. In the most significant study, Hutchings
and Mednick found criminality of the biological father was a strong
predictor if child’s criminal behavior. An analysis of Swedish
adoptees also found that genetic factors are highly significant
accounting for 59 percent of the variation of their petty crime
rates. Boys who had criminal parents were significantly more likely
to violate the law.
 BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
 D. The XYY “Supermale” Studies
 Another biological theory attempting to explain sex and gender differentials in
criminal behavior was known as the XYY Syndrome theory. XYY syndrome is a
genetic condition in which a human male has an extra male (Y) chromosome,
giving a total of 47 chromosomes instead of the more usual 46. This produces
a 47,XYY karyotype, which occurs every 1 in 1,000 male births.
 As early as 1974, prominent geneticists Jon Beckwith and Jonathan King
called the notion of a dangerous XYY “Supermale” Syndrome a dangerous
myth. This idea was primarily based on assumptions about the tendency of
males to be more aggressive than females and early studies of XYY males in
prisons.305 However, while males with an extra Y chromosome are still widely
believed to show more signs of aggression, not all aggression is dangerous or
violent. Meaning, aggression can be demonstrated on the soccer field or in the
classroom or boardroom. Thus the theory of the extra Y chromosome creating
a predisposition for violent or criminal behavior has fallen short.
 PHRENOLOGY
 Phrenology is the study of the shape of the head through the
examination and measurement of the bumps on an individual's skull.
 Phrenology was a theory developed by Franz Joseph Gall during the late
eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Phrenology, also referred to
as craniology, is a theory of human behavior based upon the belief that
an individual's character and mental faculties correlate with the shape
of their head. Phrenology was one of the early biological theories of
criminology and laid the foundation for the development of the
biological school of criminology.
 THEORY OF ATAVISM
 One of the oldest biological explanations for crime is the atavistic form. In
1876, Cesare Lombroso proposed that criminals are primitive and genetically
different from law-abiding citizens. Not only that, but they also look different
compared to normal citizens.
 Atavistic derives from the word “avatus”, which means ancestor in Latin.
According to this idea, a criminal is supposed to be a throwback in the
evolutionary chain, a reversion to an earlier and more primitive being, which
is both physically and mentally inferior.
 In other words, the criminals reflected our lower and more ape like ancestors;
their physical characteristics, he claimed, resembled those of apes or
primates. He found that in the skulls and brains and other parts of the 24
skeletons, muscles, and viscera of criminal’s anatomical peculiarities. He felt
these were similar to forms found in remnants of earlier prehistoric man,
more primitive peoples, and monkeys.
 THEORY OF ATAVISM
 Featuresof the thief: expressive face, manual dexterity,
and small, wandering eyes.
 Featuresof the murderer: cold, glassy stares, bloodshot
eyes, and big hawk-like nose, strong jaw and wide
cheekbones.
 Features of sex offenders: thick lips and protruding ears.
 Featuresof women offenders: shorter and more wrinkled,
darker hair and smaller skulls than ‘normal’ women.
 Rapists:
jug ears, sparkling eyes, delicate features,
swollen lips and eyelids, frail and hunchbacked.
 THEORY OF ATAVISM
 1. Deviation in head size and shape from type common to race and
region from which the criminal came.
 2. Asymmetry of the face.
 3. Eye defects and peculiarities.
 4. Excessive dimensions of the jaw and cheek bone.
 5. Ears of unusual size, or occasionally very small or standing out
from the head as do those of the chimpanzee.
 6. Nose twisted, upturned, or flattened in thieves, or aquiline or
beak-like in murderers, or with a tip rising like a peak from
swollen nostrils.
 7. Lips fleshy, swollen, & protruding.
 8. Pouches in the cheek like those of some animals.
 THEORY OF ATAVISM
 9. Peculiarities of the palate, such as are found in some reptiles,
and cleft palate.
 10. Chin receding, or excessively long, or short and flat, as in apes.
 11. Abnormal dentition; Abundance, variety, and precocity of
wrinkle.
 12. Anomalies of the hair, marked by characteristics of the hair of
the opposite sex.
 13. Imbalance of the hemispheres of the brain (asymmetry of
cranium).
 SOMATOTYPING THEORY
 Somatotyping is the classifying of people into types
according to body build. Somatotype theory relates
distinctive body types to personality characteristics and
relates criminal behavior to the body types.
 Somatotypes are a set of generalized body types.
 Psychologist William Sheldon came up with somatotypes in
the 1940s and they were one of the biological theories
developed in this time period that attempted to explain
and predict crime based on a person's body type. These
body types broke down into three categories: ectomorphs,
endomorphs, and mesomorphs.
 SOMATOTYPING THEORY
 1. MESOMORPHS - A mesomorph has a large bone structure,
large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs
are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite
easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which
the perfect platform for building muscle is.
 Generally, it is considered that mesomorphs have the highest
criminal tendencies, because of their build.
 Mesomorph are more likely to commit violent crimes such as
homicide, physical injuries, robbery, and rape.
 Temperament of Mesomorphy: Somotonic – active, dynamic;
walks, talks and
 gestures assertively; behaves aggressively; dominant.
 SOMATOTYPING THEORY
 2.ENDOMORPHS- Endomorphs are quite the opposite of
their frail associates. They tend to be pudgy and round
with a tendency to gain weight easily. Their skin would be
very smooth and their arms and legs somewhat short for
their build. Endomorph because of their social skills, they
are friendly and they easily earn trust, tend to commit
crimes that involve deception.
 Endomorphs are more likely to be mentally ill.
 Temperament of Endormorphy: Viscerotonic – relaxed,
jolly, lazy comfortable, loves luxury, an extrovert.
 SOMATOTYPING THEORY
 3. ECTOMORPHS- Sheldon's ectomorphs tend to be very
thin and fragile, often appearing delicate. This individual
would have a small face, a petite nose, and finely
textured hair. Ectomorphs, because of their thin build,
tend to commit crimes such as theft, burglary,
pickpocketing, shoplifting, or those that involve the
intellect, such as cracking, identity theft, etc.
 Ectomorphs are more likely to commit suicide.
 Temperament of Ectomorphy: Cerebrotonic – full of
complaints, insomniac with chronic fatigue and sensitive
skin, nervous and self-conscious, and introvert.
 SOMATOTYPING THEORY
 Ernest Kretschmer studied the different body types and presented
the relationship between physique and mental illness. He
classified the body build into three distinct types:
 1. Asthenic – lean, slightly built, narrow shoulders - This body type
is associated with schizophrenia and tends to be idealistic,
introverted, withdrawn, and prone to commit larceny and fraud
cases.
 2. Athletic– medium to all, strong, muscular course bone – Their
offenses are against decency and morality.
 3. Pyknic – medium height, rounded figure, massive neck, broad
face – associated with manic-depressiveness. Persons with this
built tend to be moody, extrovert, jolly and realistic. They are
prone to commit deception, fraud and violence.
 GENERAL INFERIORITY THEORY/HOOTON’S THEORY
 Earnest Hooton remains famous for his work in criminology, in which he used his work
in racial classification and applied it to the area of criminal behavior. Through his own
research surveying American criminals, Hooton tried to find evidence supporting
Lombroso's theory, suggesting that criminals have inferior characteristics compared to
people who do not commit crimes. According to Hooton:
 Criminals are less often married and more often divorced
 Criminals often have tattoos
 Criminals have thinner beards and body hair, and their hair is more often reddish-
brown and straight
 Criminals often have blue-gray or mixed colored eyes and less often dark or blue eyes
 Criminals have low sloping foreheads, high nasal bridges, and thin lips
 Criminal's ears often have rolled helix and a perceptible Darwin's point
 Based on these observations Hooton concluded that the underlying cause of criminal
behavior is to be found in physical characteristics, that is, physical inferiority.
 PHYSIOGNOMY
 Giambattista della Porta is considered the father of physiognomy.
 The study of facial features, and their relationship to human
behavior; the study of judging a person's character from facial
features to determine whether the shape of the ears, nose, and
eyes and the distances between them were associated with
antisocial behavior.
 According to Porta, a thief had large lips and sharp vision. Porta’s
findings was in correlation with the argument of the Father of
Modern Criminology-Cesare Lombroso when he said that criminals
frequently have huge jaws and strong canine teeth, characteristics
common to carnivores who tear and devour raw meat.
 Two centuries later, Johann Kaspar Lavater, Swiss writer,
protestant pastor was able to revive the work of Porta.
 BIOSOCIAL THEORIES
 Biosocial criminology examines interactions between
biological and social factors to understand crime (Barnes
et al., 2020; Nedelec et al., 2017; Raine, 2013).
 An approach to studying the etiology of criminal behavior
that focuses on both environmental and biological factors.
 Foundation of biosocial theory comes from the school of
positivism. (such as the ideas of Ferri and Garofalo).
 Viewed that both thought and behavior have biological
and social bases.
 BIOSOCIAL THEORIES
 EXAMPLE: Benjamin is the child of a thief, the grand child
of a serial killer, and the great grandchild of an alcoholic.
Benjamin is considered a child genetically at risk, he was
however, adopted by a good family, raised in a good
environment, and spent time with good people- his
criminal genes are therefore suppressed, and he is less
likely to exhibit antisocial behavior. But it could be
triggered, if Benjamin is to be exposed to negative
environment.
 BIOCHEMICAL THEORY
 The biochemical theory in criminology suggests that certain biological and
chemical factors can play a role in criminal behavior. This theory suggests that
certain individuals may be predisposed to criminal behavior due to imbalances
in their brain chemistry or genetics.
 • Cholesterol and Crime
Clinical trials made found a relation between low cholesterol and aggressive
behavior in animals. The study conducted in Sweden on 79,777 men and women at
age (24-70), who had police arrest records for violent crimes, found a strong
connection between lowered levels of cholesterol and violent behavior.
Measurements of cholesterol levels of violent offenders were compared with
measurement records of non-offenders based on gender, age, type of offender
(sexual or violent), alcohol consumption and enrollment year. Low levels of
cholesterol are associated with persons who have difficulties with internalization
of social norms and have the tendency to be irresponsible. Low cholesterol levels
can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
 BIOCHEMICAL THEORY
 • Crime and sugar
Biochemical theories claim that there is a causal connection between blood
sugar levels, anti-social behavior, and delinquency. Theories are mostly
represented in the field of juvenile delinquency and presume that poor
nutrition affects delinquent behavior. Poor nutrition directly affects the
learning process. Excessively low levels of blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause
the development of negative behavior, nervous behavior, mental confusion,
physical weakness, delirium and violence.
 • Vitamins and Crime
Vitamins and minerals are very important in a regular diet. Disruption of
homeostasis can cause difficulties. Theory states that low intake of vitamins,
and minerals can cause delinquent behavior.
Homeostasis - A state of balance among all the body systems needed forthe
body to survive and function correctly.
Psychological Theories
of
Crime Causation
 PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES
 Psychologists have long been interested in the minds of
criminals. Why a person commits a crime depends on different
factors, which change depending on which approach you
consult.
 Psychological theories of crime are founded on the premise
that criminal conduct is caused by mental defects and conflicts
that may lead to an individual engaging in criminal activity.
 Psychological theories of crime tend to see offending
behaviour from a psychological perspective, focusing on
aspects such as a person's personality, thinking patterns, and
cognitive distortions.
PSYCHOANALYTIC OR PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
 Psychodynamic theory sees criminal behaviour as a conflict
between the id, ego and superego. This conflict can lead to people
developing problematic behaviour and delinquency.
 This theory blames criminal or delinquent behavior to a
conscience that is either so overbeating that is arouses feelings of
guilt, or so weak that it cannot control the individual’s impulses
and leads to a need for immediate gratification.
 This theory holds that the human personality is controlled by
unconscious mental processes developed in early childhood.
 PSYCHOANALYTIC OR PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
 1. The Id – It is the impulsive part of the personality and unconscious. It
represents the unconscious biological drives for sex, food and other life-
sustaining necessities. The id impulses instant gratification without
concern for the rights of others. Hence, they must be repressed. It
operates according to “pleasure personality”
 2. The Ego – This is the objective, rational part of personality, the reality
component. Hence, it considers sensibility and responsibility to others.
The ego compensates for the demands of the id by helping the individual
guide his actions to remain within boundaries of righteousness and
fairness. It operates according to “reality principle”.
 3. Superego – The superego is the “conscience” of a person. It is the
moral aspect of personality. It allows a person to feel pride, shame and
guilt. Thus, it is largely responsible for making a person follow the moral
codes of society. It helps a person weigh his thoughts and actions. Freud
believed that some people are criminal due to an overdeveloped
superego which leads to guilt, anxiety and a desire for punishment.
 PSYCHOANALYTIC OR PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
 Any conflict between these three forces or an imbalance between
them could cause delinquent and deviant behaviour in a person.
While the Ego tries to gratify all the needs of the id, it also makes
sure that the super ego’s requirements are not ignored and the
ideal self remains and the person is not overwhelmed by guilt
feelings. Thus the ego strives to strike a balance between the id’s
desires and wishes and the moral requirements of the super ego.
So long as the ego is strong and capable, neither the id nor the
super ego becomes dominant or overpowering.
 PSYCHOANALYTIC OR PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
 Roger was hungry and then he saw a piece of bread in a plate of a young child.
 STAGES PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
 Freud proposed five stages of psychosexual development: oral, anal, phallic,
latency, and genital. During each stage, sexual energy (libido) is expressed, and
the reaction of parental figures determines whether the stage resolves
successfully or not. If stages resolve positively, the resulting adult is able to
“love, work, and play.” If developmental stages do not resolve successfully, the
result is an adult who is likely to violate ethical and moral standards.