Theories of Crime

Question 1

Occam’s Razor

Answer 1

The simplest, most straightforward theory that explains all evidence is the best theory (eg E=mc2)

Question 2

Positivist School

Answer 2

A school of thought that attributed criminal behaviour to biological or psychological factors; often referred to as the “Italian School” - linked to Charles Darwin’s 1859 theory of evolution, physical anthropology, Gregor Mendel’s 1865 work on genetics, etc

Question 3

Chicago School

Answer 3

The first school of sociology in the USA; view of criminality shaped by rapid urbanization around the globe in the 1800s and 1900s and by social forces such as the Progressive movement

Question 4

Classical School

Answer 4

A body of work that emerged in Europe (17th/18th century) that argued people have the capacity to think rationally; contemporary deterrence theory (Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham)

Question 5

Early Positivist School

Answer 5

endorsed the “medical model”—the notion that criminals were sick and in need of treatment, giving rise to a number of prison reforms and new emphasis on rehabilitation

Question 6

Hedonism

Answer 6

the view that pleasure is the primary good; the pursuit of pleasure (Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham)

Question 7

Utilitarianism

Answer 7

a philosophy that suggests reasoned decisions will produce the greatest good for the greatest number (Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham)

Question 8

Free will

Answer 8

a will whose choices are not conditioned or determined by factors external to itself; also, the doctrine that free will exists (Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham)

Question 9

Rational choice theory

Answer 9

1986 book by Derek B. Cornish and Ronald V. Clark; offenders make conscious choices based on a cost-benefit analysis

Question 10

Cesare Beccaria

Answer 10

Classical school theorist · Argued against secret accusations and use of torture (insisting accused individuals should have right to know their accusers and right to a fair trial), punishment should be proportional to the crime

Question 11

Jeremy Bentham

Answer 11

Classical school theorist · Argued that humans are rational, free-willed actors, human behaviour is governed by hedonistic (pleasure-pain) calculus · Punishment should be restricted only to amount required to achieve deterrence

Question 12

Does deterrence work?

Answer 12

Still an ongoing debate · Canadian studies: close to half of all male federal offenders have previously served a federal term of imprisonment · In US studies, 70% of parolees are re-arrested for serious crimes within six years of their release

Question 13

Specific and General Deterrence

Answer 13

Specific: individual offender is deterred from reoffending as a result of conviction and punishment

General:members of general public are deterred from offending by seeing individual criminals convicted and punished for their actions

Question 14

Situational deterrence

Answer 14

· deterred by immediate (environmental) circumstances than by the threat of future punishment · deterred by fear

Question 15

Atavism

Answer 15

Cesare Lombroso/Positivist school, notion that criminals are less evolved than “normal” humans

Question 16

somatotyping theory

Answer 16

Sheldon 1949, 3 distinct and unusual body types ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph

Question 17

ectomorph

Answer 17

skinny, frail, prone to nervous disorders/anxiety

Question 18

endomorph

Answer 18

overweight, sociable, loved to eat

Question 19

mesomorph

Answer 19

muscular, triangular torso, competitive/aggressive/prone to violence

Question 20

Criticisms of Positivist school

Answer 20

· for supporting bad genes caused “diseases” and eliminating them through selective breeding (i.e., sterilization, segregation, and extermination)

·for discounting relationship between crime and social factors (poverty, lack of education, lack of employment opportunities)

Question 21

Legacy of Positivist school

Answer 21

seen in medical model in criminal court system and correctional system court: lawyers argue for special consideration because of psychological disorders and diminished mental capacity correctional system: parole involving psychiatric and psychological reports