Unit 2: Criminological Theories Flashcards
What is the difference between the social and the legal definition of criminal behaviour
The social definition being that how we define a crime in society whereas the legal definition is against the criminal law and it usually is made up of two elements
State two examples of court sanctions against criminals (formal)
Fines which are determined on the level of seriousness of the offence
Discharge which is being released on license and if you commit a crime you will be charged for the original crime and the new crime
State two examples of police sanctions against criminals (formal)
Cautions: Warnings given by the police or CPS to anyone aged 10 or over for minor crimes You must admit to the offence and agree to the caution.
Conditional cautions: Means you have to stick to certain rules and restrictions If you break the conditions, you can be charged with a crime.
What 3 things do society withhold in how we deem criminal behaviour
Norms, Values and The Moral Code
What is the difference between the publics perspective and the criminological perspective of deviant acts
Public: Deviance is any behaviour that differs from normal. It is behaviour that is unusual or out of the ordinary
Criminological: Behaviour that is disapproved of and the rule breaking leads onto further behaviour
What is the difference between informal and formal sanctions against deviance
Formal sanctions are imposed by official bodies like courts and informal sanctions are imposed by institutions like schools
What are the Implications of Committing a Criminal Offence?
Offender will receive a criminal record
May be excluded from certain occupations
Might be placed on a register
May be banned from travelling to certain countries
Name three laws that differ due to culture
Cannabis- Illegal in the Uk but it is legal in Mexico this is due to them being unable to control the influence of drug use
Homosexuality- Legal in the Uk but Illegal in India & Saudi Arabia this is down to religious beliefs
Honour Crimes- Illegal in the UK but legal in Pakistan this is due to religious beliefs
State an example and a reason why the law of your choice has changed over time
The laws around Homosexuality have changed overtime due to movements like LQBTQ and society breaking law
How are laws applied differently according to circumstances in which actions occur and give a case study
Differential enforcement of the law: Moral panics about certain crimes can lead to offenders being treated more harshly by the courts. Moral panic 1960’s – Mods and Rockers – stricter sentences to teach young people a lesson.
State another example of how laws are applied based on the circumstance
Age of criminal responsibility: This is the age below which a kid is considered incapable of being a criminal. This makes sense because kids under a certain age can’t fully comprehend the consequences of their actions and can’t be held accountable for them in the same manner. Wales, England, and Northern Ireland: 10 Scotland: 12 years old.
Describe a physiological theory of criminality
Lombroso: Studied the physical characteristics of both criminals (dead and alive) and claimed that criminals could be identified by atavistic (primitive) features. He also claimed that it was possible to tell the type of crime someone would commit by the way they looked e.g: Murderers had bloodshot eyes and curly hair; sex offenders had thick lips and protruding ears
Describe a biological theory of criminality
William Sheldon suggested that people could be classified into three body shapes (somatotype) which corresponded to 3 different personality types ectomorphic, endomorphic and mesomorphic. By comparing photos of college students and delinquents he concluded that criminals were more likely to have mesomorphic body shape and least likely to have a ectomorphic body shape
Describe a genetic theory of criminality
Jacob Et Al’s XYY Syndrome suggested that The Abnormality of the sex chromosomes maybe a cause of criminality. An extra Y-Chromosome can create XYY men (super males) who are thought to be more aggressive and more inclined to be violent. Low Intelligence, tall, well-built, more aggressive. (15/1000 vs 1/1000)
Describe a learning theory of criminality
Bandura suggested that Social Learning theory is learning can take place indirectly through observations and imitation of role models. Children were shown an adult model being verbally and physically aggressive towards an inflatable Bobo doll he tested this with three groups who had different types of rewards and punishments it yielded the fact that the imitation of the modelled behaviour depends on the consequences observed upon the role model.
Describe a psychological theory of criminality
Criminal Behaviour is the result of a particular personality type. Eysenck suggests our personality is based on 2 dimensions:
1. Extroversion vs Introversion
2. Neuroticism vs Emotional Stability
Eysenck’s personality test shows that high scores in E and N tend to correlate with criminality. PEN made you a criminal
Describe a psychodynamic theory of criminality
Freud stated that Early experiences will determine whether we grow up to act in deviant ways and that the human Personality consists of 3 parts:
1. ID (Unconscious, instinctive primal parts of the mind)
2. The superego (Moral Conscience) acts as a guide to our behaviour
3. Ego (Seeks rational and sensible control)
A healthy personality balances all three developed in early childhood
Describe Marxism
Marxist theory suggests that Capitalism causes Crime through an exploitation of Working Class (Prolates) along with selective Law Enforcement it also pushes consumerism may lead to theft and it also states that Inequality = frustration may lead to violence and finally that laws protect property and the interest of the bourgeois
Describe Durkheim’s functionalist theory
Durkheim states that crime is a positive in society because otherwise we wouldn’t have rules he stated in his theory that if we have shared norms and values there will be 3 functions of Crime: Boundary Maintenance, Social Change and Social Cohesion
What is Right Realism
The right realist theory was developed by Charles Murray which focused on the increased control and punishment it stated that Crime was caused by: Inadequate socialisation, Children growing up in the underclass, Single Parents, Poor Social control and Zero Tolerance. It also aligns with Wilson and Kelling’s Broken Window Theory
What are the strengths of Lombroso’s theory
*His research showed the importance of examining clinical and historical records of criminals
*His later work took some limited account of social and environmental factors , not just heredity.
What are the weaknesses of Lombroso’s theory of criminality
*Research since Lombroso has failed to show a link between facial features and criminality
*By describing, criminals as like ‘primitive savages’, Lombroso equates non-western societies with criminals. This is a form of racism
What are the strengths of Sheldons theory of criminality
Most serious delinquents have extreme mesomorphic body shapes.
Other studies have replicated Sheldon’s findings. Glueck and Glueck found that 60% of the offenders in their study were mesomorphs.
What are the weaknesses of Sheldons theory of criminality
Glueck and Glueck found that is was a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.
Criminals may develop a mesomorphic build as a result of needing to be physically tough to succeed
What are the strengths of XYY Syndrome
One study by Jacob et l. (1965) found that a significant number of men in prison had XYY sex chromosomes instead of the normal XY.
Adler et al. (2007) indicated that it is possible that aggressive and violent behaviour is at least partly determined by genetic factors
What are the weaknesses of XYY Syndrome
Genetic abnormalities are widespread throughout the general population and therefore do not explain aggression.
Focusing too heavily on genetics ignores the behaviourist approach.
What are the strengths of Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
*Bandura shows that children who observed aggressive behaviour being rewarded, imitated that behaviour.
This shows the importance of role models in learning deviant behaviour.
What are the drawbacks of Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
Based on laboratory studies.
The theory assumes that peoples behaviour is completely determined by their learning experiences and ignores their freedom of choice.
