Lecture 2 - Theories of Crime

Question 1

Name the 3 broadly sociological, societal macro-level theories.

Answer 1

Marxist Conflict Theory
Robert Merton’s Strain Theory
Feminist Theory

Question 2

Name the 2 broadly sociological, community locality theories.

Answer 2

The Chicago School

Differential Opportunity Theory.

Question 3

Briefly describe the 3 broadly sociological, societal macro-level theories.

Answer 3

Marxist Conflict - Conflict between competing groups over material resources and institutionalised power. Dominant class uses laws to control & maintain hegemony.

Robert Merton Strain - Goals available to a limited few, rest reach goals through deviant means.

Feminist - males maintain power through violence to women and controlling social institutions. Powerless men show a cruder expression of power leading to their imprisonment.

Question 4

Briefly describe the 2 broadly sociological, community and locality theories

Answer 4

Chicago School - transitional zones of cities that harbour greatest level of crime - twilight zones deserted by MC , migrants settle in the transitional zones and experiences social pathologies.

Differential Opportunity - Range of crime opportunities close to home - different modes of adjustment to particular social strains.

Question 5

Name the 3 broadly psychological, group and socialisation theories.

Answer 5

Subcultural Delinquency Theory
Differential Association Theory
Lifestyle & Routine

Question 6

Name the 2 broadly psychological, individual theories.

Answer 6

Personality Theory

Biological Theory.

Question 7

Briefly describe the 3 broadly psychological, group and socialisation theories

Answer 7

Subcultural Delinquency Theory - youth with problems at home and school associate with gangs to achieve status & self-esteem.

Differential Association - criminality = learned behaviour dependent on exposure and pressure to commit crime. Differentiate between MC (fraud) & WC (theft).

Lifestyle - crime = trivial, impulsive and opportunistic, inadequately supervised.

Question 8

Briefly describe the 2 broadly psychological, individual theories.

Answer 8

Personality - patterns of personality associated with crime.

Biological - genetic makeup, brain activity and hormonal imbalances.

Question 9

Are we born good or bad?

Answer 9

Babies go from amoral to moral beings via socialisation.

Hamlin & Wynn 2001- 70% choose good puppet = drawn to kindness.

Question 10

Briefly outline Bandura’s 1977 Social Learning Theory.

Answer 10

Learning through direct consequences and modelling. Process of imitation.
4 concepts = Attention, retention, behaviour, motivation.

BUT weak argument Howitt 2012.

Question 11

Briefly describe the Moral Reasoning Theory according to Piaget, Kohlberg & Gibbs.

Answer 11

Moral compass guides actions and justifies behaviour.
Number of cognitive distortions:
- Egocentric Bias: Immature MR, self-absorbed
- Hostile Attributional Bias: reacting to ambiguous situation.

Question 12

Outline Gibbs 4 stages of Socio-Moral Reasoning.

Answer 12

1. Immature MR - unilateral & physicalistic. Basin needs and self.
2. Immature MR -exchanging and instrumental.
3. Mature MR - mutual & prosocial
4. Mature MR - systematic and standard - societal needs.

Question 13

Briefly describe the psychodynamic theory of crime.

Answer 13

Scott 2010 postulates that there is a relative influence of the id, ego and superego. Normally, crime is not committed as the ego manages the id. However, problems arise when the superego development is faulty resulting in criminality.

Question 14

Describe the Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis and its role in crime, according to Bowlby 1951.

Answer 14

Importance of quality care in first three years with a link between attachment type (secure, ambivalent and avoidant) and criminality.

Question 15

Describe the personality theory of crime.

Answer 15

Eysenck 1967 - personality mediates genetic predispositions and environmental influences.
Increased extraversion and neuroticism correlate with criminality.
Addiction-prone personalities may also be implicated as co-occur with alcohol/substance.

Howitt 2012- Crime resources (shoplifting/heroin) vs crime stimulation (joy riding).

Question 16

Outline the psychopathy checklist according to Hare 2003.

Answer 16

1. Personality - aggressive narcissism, glib, charming, lying, impulsive, grandiose, lacking empathy.
2. Socially Deviant lifestyle - constant need for stimulation, prone to boredom, lack of realistic LT goals.

Question 17

Describe what ASPD is according to the DSM.

Answer 17

A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others that begins in early childhood and extends into adulthood.

Question 18

What are the 2 problems associated with explaining psychopathy.

Answer 18

Hare argues a different diagnostic criteria for psychopathy is needed as ASPD is not enough - ASPD are suicidal, psychopaths are not.

Psychopathy is considered untreatable - leads to violent failure, making them worse.

Question 19

Briefly outline the neuropsychology behind psychopathy.

Answer 19

Genetics make one susceptible to criminality.

XXY chromosome - hyper masculine, hyper aggressive = criminality.

By favourably altering the environment of biologically predisposed children, we may avoid horrific criminal outcomes.

Abnormal asymmetries in amygdala (Raine 2004)

Warrior Gene - MAO-A (Anderson & Kiehl 2012)