SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY

GRADUATE SCHOOL
General Luna Road, Baguio City

Submitted by : Octavia S. Cuyangan, PhDCrim1
Subject : Psychological Factors of Crime
Date : June 22, 2014
Facilitator :

B. Hirschis Social Bonding Theory
Hirschis theory begins with the
general proposition that delinquent
acts result when an individuals bond
to society is weak or broken.
Four Principal
1) Attachment to others
the extent to which we have close
affectional ties to others, admire
them, and identify with them so that
we care about their expectations. The
more insensitive we are to others
opinions, the less we are constrained
by the norms that we share with
them: therefore, the more likely we
are to violate these norms.
2) Commitment
Refers to the extent to which
individuals have built up an
investment in conventionality or a
stake on conformity (Toby,1957)
that would be jeopardized or lost by
engaging in law violation or other
forms of deviance.
The greater the commitment, the
more one risks losing by non-
confirmity. Commitment, therefore,
refers to a more or less rational
element in the decision to commit
crime.

3) Involvement
Refers to ones
engrossment in
conventional activities, such
as studying, spending time
with the family, and
participation in
extracurricular activities.
One is restrained from
delinquent behavior
because one is too busy,
too preoccupied, or too
consumed in conforming
pursuits to become involved
in non-conforming pursuits.
4) Belief
Defined as the endorsement
of general conventional
values and norms,
especially the belief that
laws and societys rules in
general are morally correct
and should be obeyed. The
concepts does not
necessarily refer to beliefs
about specific laws or acts,
nor does it mean that
people hold deviant beliefs
that require them to
commit crime.

C. Gottfredson and Hirschi: Self-Control
Explains all individual
differences in the propensity
to refrain from or to commit
crime, including all acts of
crimes and deviance, at all
ages, and under all
circumstances.
The theory states that
individuals with high self-
control will be sub-stantially
less likely at all periods of life
to engage in criminal
acts(Gottfredshon and
Hirschi, 1990) whereas those
Low self-control will lead to
criminal behavior when
opportunities are available,
but it can be counteracted
by circumstances and,
therefore, does not require
crime. This means that the
circumstances have to be
right before the lack of self-
control will produce crime.
with low self-control are highly
likely to commit crime.
VI. Labelling and Reintegrative Shaming
Theory
Labeling theory expects differential
application of stigmatizing labels to
persons based on social
characteristics such as class and
race and explains the difference as
the result of control agents selectively
applying labels to the powerful in
society.
The principal strength of labeling
theory is that it calls attention to the
unintended consequences of social
control. Its principal weakness is that
it essentially ignores primary
deviance and seriously
underestimates the influence that
other variables have on behavior in
the first place and continue to have
on its future occurrence.
Reintegrative Shaming Theory
Through this concepts he set out
to answer the the question, when
is a criminal label likely to have the
effect of producing a criminal self-
concept and future criminal
behavior, and when is it likely to
have the opposite effect of
preventing crime?
In contrast to stigmatizing
shaming. These application of
criminal labels in reintegrative
shaming tends to produce lower
crime rates, whereas
stigmatization fosters high crime
rates. Restorative justice programs
are undergirded to a considerable
extent of reintegrative shaming
theory, but also rely other theories
and moral philosophies.
VII. Social Disorganization, Anomie, and Strain Theories
A) Social Disorganization and Urban Ecology
Social Disorganization theory was developed in the studies of urban crime
and delinquency by sociologists at the University of Chicago and the
Institute for Juvenile Research in Chicago in the 1920s and 1930s (Shaw
and McKay, 1942)
Social disorganization theories hypothesize that social order, stability, and
integration are conducive to conformity, whereas disorder and
malintegration takes when there is a dissociation between valued cultural
ends and legitimate societal means to those ends.
The more disorganized or anomic the group, community, or society, the
higher the rate of crime and deviance.
B) Anomie/Strain Theory
Provide an explanation of the concentration of crime not only in the lower
class urban areas but also in lower class and minority groups in general,
as well as the overall high crime rate.
This theory leans heavily on the work of Emile Durkheim, one of the
founders of sociology.
Durkheim used the term anomie to refer to a state of normlessness or lack of
social regulation in modern society as one condition that promotes higher rates of
suicide.
Many of the problems that occupied Durkheim stem from his concern with the
decline of the common morality. In the concept of anomie, Durkheim best
manifested his concern with the problems of a weakened morality (Hilbert, 1986).
Individuals are said to be confronted with anomie when they are not faced with
sufficient moral constraint, that is, when they do not have a clear concept of what
is and what is not proper and acceptable behavior.
C) Contemporary Anomie/Strain Theory
Strain theory states that social structures within society may
pressure citizens to commit crime. Following on the work of mile
Durkheim, Strain Theories have been advanced by Robert King
Merton (1957), Albert K. Cohen (1955), Richard Cloward and Lloyd
Ohlin (1960), Neil Smelser (1963), Robert Agnew (1992), and Steven
Messner and Richard Rosenfeld (1994). Strain may be either:
1. Structural: this refers to the processes at the societal level which filter down and
affect how the individual perceives his or her needs, i.e. if particular social
structures are inherently inadequate or there is inadequate regulation, this may
change the individual's perceptions as to means and opportunities; or
2. Individual: this refers to the frictions and pains experienced by an individual as he
or she looks for ways to satisfy his or her needs, i.e. if the goals of a society
become significant to an individual, actually achieving them may become more
important than the means adopted.
VIII. Conflict Theory
Conflict theories are perspectives in sociology that emphasize the social,
political, or material inequality of a social group, that critique the broad
socio-political system, or that otherwise detract from structural
functionalism and ideological conservativism.
Conflict theories draw attention to power differentials, such as class
conflict, and generally contrast historically dominant ideologies. It is
therefore a macro level analysis of society. Karl Marx is the father of the
social conflict theory, which is a component of the 4 paradigms of
sociology. Certain conflict theories set out to highlight the ideological
aspects inherent in traditional thought. Whilst many of these perspectives
hold parallels, conflict theory does not refer to a unified school of thought,
and should not be confused with, for instance, peace and conflict studies,
or any other specific theory of social conflict.
IX. Marxist and Critical Theories
Marxist theory explains the law and criminal justice system as being
controlled by and serving the interest of the ruling capitalist elite.
Instrumental Marxists view all aspects or the political state, including its
law and justice system, as inevitably and always an instrument of the ruling
class.
In Marxists theory, capitalism itself is the major cause of crime. The crimes
of the working class are either crimes of accommodation or crimes of
resistance to the capitalist system. Crimes committed by the ruling class
are crimes of domination and repression that are committed to protect
and promote the interests of the ruling class.
X. Feminist Theories
Feminist Theory is an outgrowth of the general movement to empower
women worldwide.
Feminism can be defined as a recognition and critique of male supremacy
combined with efforts to change it.
Feminist theory focuses on the patriarchal system as the root division in
society between the dominant and subordinate groups. Privileged males
rules, make the rules, and enforce the rules. In this system women are
more disadvantaged, restricted, and comtrolled.