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Theories of Crime Causation

The document discusses several theories of crime causation, including biological, psychological, and sociological theories. Biological theories examine physical and genetic factors, pointing to traits like physiology and heredity as influencing criminal behavior. Psychological theories look at mental factors such as defective conscience, emotional immaturity, and Freudian concepts. Sociological theories view environmental influences like poverty, family, peers, and social structure as contributing to criminality. Modern sociological theories specifically consider social disorganization, strain, and cultural deviance.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
27 views21 pages

Theories of Crime Causation

The document discusses several theories of crime causation, including biological, psychological, and sociological theories. Biological theories examine physical and genetic factors, pointing to traits like physiology and heredity as influencing criminal behavior. Psychological theories look at mental factors such as defective conscience, emotional immaturity, and Freudian concepts. Sociological theories view environmental influences like poverty, family, peers, and social structure as contributing to criminality. Modern sociological theories specifically consider social disorganization, strain, and cultural deviance.

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THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION

INSTRUCTOR. JOHN PAUL I. PAZ

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BIOLOGICAL THEORIES

 This refers to the set of theories that point to physical, physiological and other natural factors as
the causes for the commission of crimes of certain individuals.

 This explanation for the existence of criminal traits associates an individual’s evil disposition to
physical disfigurement or impairment.

 Physiognomy – the study of facial features and their relation to human behavior.

1. Giambiatista dela Porta

- Founder of human physiognomy

- according to him criminal behavior may be predicted based on facial features of the person.

2. Johann Kaspar Lavater

- supported the belief of dela Porta

- he believed that a person’s character is revealed through his facial characteristics.

 Phrenology, Craniology or Cranioscopy – the study of the external formation of the skull in
relation to the person’s personality and tendencies toward criminal behavior.

1. Franz Joseph Gall

- he developed cranioscopy

2. Johann Kaspar Spurzheim

- assistant of Gall in the study of phrenology.

- he was the man most responsible for popularizing and spreading phrenology to a wide
audience

 Physiology or Somatotype – refers to the study of body built of a person in relation to his
temperament and personality and the type of offense he is most prone to commit.

1. Ernst Kretschmer

- formulated his own body types: asthenic, athletic, pyknik and dysplastic.

2. William Herbert Sheldon

- His body types include: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

Physiology or Somatotype

According to Kretschmer According to Sheldon

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 asthenic – characterized as thin, small  ectomorph – tall and thin and less social
and weak. and more intellectual than the other
 athletic – muscular and strong. types.
 pyknic – stout, round and fat.  mesomorph – have well-developed
 dysplastic – combination of two body muscles and an athletic appearance.
types  endomorph – heavy builds and slow
moving.

Ectomorphic Body Type

 frail

 skinny,

 gangly--Psych: introverts

 cunning

 stealth

Mesomorphic

 large, strong,

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 hard--Psych: active

 dynamic

 assertive

 Forceful

Endomorphic

 Fat

 round--Psych: luxury

 sloth

 consumption

 Heredity – the transmission of traits from parents to offspring.

1. Richard Louis Dugdale

- conducted a study of the Jukes family by researching their family tree as far back 200
years. He discovered that most of the ascendants of the Jukes were criminals.

2. Henry Goddard

- He traced the descendants of the Martin Kallikak from each of his two wives and found
a distinct difference in terms of quality of lives of descendants. He coined the term “moron”.

3. Charles Goring

 He believed that criminal traits can be passed from parents to offspring through the genes.

 He proposed that individuals who possess criminal characteristics should be prohibited from
having children.

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Intelligence as a Factor in Criminality

 The classic studies of the Juke and Kallikak families were among the first to show that
feeblemindedness or low-intelligence can be inherited and transferred from one generation to
the next. Numerous test were also conducted that lead to the development of the use of IQ
tests as a testing procedure for offenders. The very first results seemed to confirm that
offenders had low mental abilities and they were found to be mentally impaired.

 ALFRED BINET – a French psychologist who developed the first IQ test.

 The test measured the capacity of individual children to perform tasks or solve problems in
relation to the average capacity of their peers.

PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES

 refers to the theories that attribute criminal behavior of individuals to psychological factors,
such as emotion and mental problems.

 psychologists have considered a variety of possibilities, defective conscience, emotional


immaturity, inadequate childhood socialization, maternal deprivation and poor moral
development.

 Sigmund Freud

- known for his psychoanalytic theory*

- according to him, criminality is caused by the imbalance of the three (3) components of
personality: the id, the ego, and the superego. ID – follows the pleasure principle

EGO – reality principle

SUPEREGO - the conscience

 Sigmund Freud – suggested that criminality may result from an overactive conscience that
results in excessive guilt feelings.

 a defect in the character formation of delinquents drives them to satisfy their desires at once,
regardless of the consequences.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES

 sociological factors refer to things, places and people with whom we come in contact with and
which play a part in determining our actions and conduct. These causes may bring about the
development of criminal behavior.

 Emile Durkheim

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- he stated that crime is a normal part of the society just like birth and death.

- proposed the concept of “anomie” or the absence of social norms. It is characterized by


disorder due to lack of common values shared by individuals, lack of respect for authority and lack of
appreciation for what is acceptable and not acceptable in a society.

 Gabriel Tarde

- introduced the theory of imitation which proposes the process by which people become
criminals.

- according to this theory, individuals imitate the behavior of other individuals based on the
degree of their association with other individuals and it is inferior or weak who tend to imitate the
superior and strong.

 Adolphe Quetelet and Andre Michael Guerry

- founder of cartographic school of criminology.

- founder of moral statistics.

- cartographic school of criminology made use of statistical data such as population, age, gender,
occupation, religious affiliations and social economic status and studies their influences and relationship
to criminality.

MODERN SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION

 Environmental factors such as the kind of rearing or family upbringing, quality of teaching in
school, influences of peers and friends, conditions of the neighborhood, and economic and
other societal factors are believed to be contributory to crime and criminal behavior.

 SOCIAL STRUCTURE THEORIES

- refers not only to the physical features of the communities but also to the way society is
organized.

- include such things as level of poverty and unemployment and the amount of crowded housing
which are believed to affect behavior and attitudes of individuals which in turn contribute to their
commission of crimes.

- also called social environment

- includes social disorganization theory, strain theory and cultural deviance theory.

1. Social Disorganization Theory

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- popularized by Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay.

- according to this theory, crimes in urban areas are more prevalent because residents have
impersonal relationships with each other.

- increase in the number of broken families and single parenthood are also very common in
disorganized communities.

- another feature of disorganized community is poverty as evidenced by poor living conditions


such as rundown houses, unsanitary and unsightly streets and high unemployment rates.

 This theory focuses on the development of high-crime areas associated with the disintegration
of conventional values caused by rapid industrialization, increased migration, and urbanization.

2. Strain Theory

- strain refers the individual’s frustration, anger and resentment.

- holds that crime is a function of the conflict between the goals people have and the means
they can use to legally obtain them. This also argues that the ability to obtain these goals is class
dependent; members of the lower class are unable to achieve these goals which come easily to
those belonging to the upper class. Consequently, they feel anger, frustration and resentment,
referred to as STRAIN.

3. Cultural Deviance Theory

- gives emphasis on the concept of culture and sub-culture.

- according to this theory, because people in the lower class feel isolated due to extreme
deprivation or poverty, they tend to create a sub-culture with its own set of rules and values. This is
characterized by deviant behavior which result in criminal behavior among its members.

 SOCIAL PROCESS THEORY

- refers to a group of theories which point to the individual’s socialization process as the cause
for the commission of crimes. These theories cite interaction with people and experiences and
exposure to different element in the environment as primary factors to criminality.

- under this theory is the social learning theory which in turn has three (3) sub-theories:
differential association theory, differential reinforcement theory and neutralization theory.

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 SOCIAL PROCESS THEORY

- refers to a group of theories which point to the individual’s socialization process as the cause
for the commission of crimes. These theories cite interaction with people and experiences and exposure
to different element in the environment as primary factors to criminality.

- under this theory is the social learning theory which in turn has three (3) sub-theories:
differential association theory, differential reinforcement theory and neutralization theory.

1. Differential Association Theory

- formulated by Edwin Sutherland

- this theory states that criminal behavior is learned through socialization.

- criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication.

2. Differential Reinforcement Theory

- according to this theory, individual’s behavior depends on how people around him react
toward s his behavior.

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- an act that is rewarded is repeated; an act that is punished will be avoided.

3. Neutralization Theory

- introduced by David Matza and Gresham Sykes.

- sometimes referred to as “drift theory”

- according to this theory, people know when they are doing something wrong, however, they
rationalize and justify their actions. This rationalizing is what we called “neutralization”.

 SOCIAL REACTION THEORY*

- more commonly called labeling theory.

- it states that people become criminals when significant members of society label them as such
and they accept those labels as a personal identity.

 SOCIAL CONTROL THEORIES

- maintain that everyone has the potential to become criminal but most people are controlled
by their bonds to society.

- social control refers to the agencies of social control such as family, school, religion or church,
government and laws and other identified authorities in society.

- there are two (2) sub-theories: containment theory and social bond theory.

1. Containment Theory

- proposed by Walter Reckless

- he stated that inner and outer containments help prevent juvenile offending.

- containment means the forces within and outside the individual that has the power to
influence his actions.

- inner containments include positive self-concept, tolerance for frustration and an ability to set
realistic goals.

- outer containments include family.

2. Social Bond Theory*

- propagated by Travis Hirschi

 this theory views crime as a result of individuals with weakened bonds to social institutions.

 according to this theory, there are four (4) elements of social bonds: attachment, commitment,
involvement and belief.

 attachment – refers to the degree to which an individual care about the opinions of others.

 commitment – refers to an individual’s investment of energy and emotion in conventional


pursuits, such as getting good grades.

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 involvement – refers to the amount of time an individual spends on a conventional pursuit.

 belief – refers to acceptance of the norms of conventional society.

Elements of the social bond

Crimes and Criminals

 crime – refers to an act committed or omitted in violation of public law (Phil. Law Dictionary).

 It also refers to an act committed or omitted in violation of a public law forbidding or


commanding it (Reyes 2006).

 CRIME OF COMMISSION – when the act performed is in violation of a law forbidding it

 CRIME OF OMISSION – when the person failed to perform an act that is commanded by law

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Classification of Crimes

1. According to law violated

FELONY

 Violation of the RPC

OFFENSE

 Violation of SPL

INFRACTION

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 Violation of a city or municipal ordinance

2. According to the manner of committing crime

3. According to the stage in the commission

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4. According to plurality:

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 Simple Crime – is a single act constituting only one offense.

 Complex Crime – is a single act constituting two or more grave or less grave felonies, or when
the offense is a necessary means for committing the other.

2 KINDS OF COMPLEX CRIME:

1. compound crime (delito compuesto)

2. complex crime proper (delito complejo)

5. According to gravity:

 Grave felonies - are those to which the law attaches the capital punishment or penalties which
in any of their period are afflictive.

 Less grave felonies - are those which the law punishes with penalties which in their maximum
period are correctional.

 Light felonies - are infraction of laws for the commission of which the penalty of arresto menor
or a fine not exceeding 200 pesos or both is provided.

6. According to the nature of act:

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 Crimes mala in se – are acts that are inherently evil.

 Examples: Murder, Robbery, etc.

 Crimes mala prohibita – are acts which are prohibited only because there are laws forbidding
such acts.

 Examples: Illegal Possession of F/A, Traffic Violations, etc.

CRIMINOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF CRIME:

1. According to the result of the crime:

 Acquisitive crime – if the offender acquired or gained something by committing the crime.

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 Examples: robbery, estafa, bribery, etc.

 Destructive crime – if the crime resulted in destruction, damage or even death.

 Examples: arson, murder and homicide, damage to property, etc.

2. According to the time or period of commission:

 Seasonal crimes – are crimes that happen only during a particular season or period of the year.

 Examples: violation of election law, tax law violations, etc.

 Situational crimes – are crimes committed when the situation is conducive to the commission of
the crime and there is an opportunity to commit it.

 Examples: pickpocketing, theft, etc.

3. According to the length of time of the commission:

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 Instant crimes – are those crimes that can be committed in a very short time.

 Example: theft

 Episodial crimes – are crimes committed through series of acts or episodes and in much longer
time.

 Example: serious illegal detention

4. According to the place or location:

 Static crimes – are committed only in one place.

 examples are theft and robbery

 Continuing crimes – are crimes that take place in more than one place or several places.

 examples: abduction, kidnapping, etc.

5. According to the use of mental faculties:

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 Rational crimes – when the offender is capable of knowing what he is doing and understanding
the consequences of his actions.

 Irrational Crimes – when the offender suffers from any form of mental disorders, insanity or
abnormality. Thus, the offender doesn’t know what he is doing.

6. According to the type of offender:

 White Collar Crimes – crimes committed by those persons belonging to the upper socio-
economic status or in the course of his occupational activities.

 Blue Collar Crimes – are those crimes committed by ordinary criminals as a means of livelihood.

Classifications of criminals

1. According to etiology

a. Acute criminal – is a person who committed crime as a result of reacting to a situation


or during a moment of anger or burst of feeling.

b. Chronic criminal – is one who committed a crime with intent or deliberated thinking.

1. Neurotic criminal – is one who has mental disorder.

2. Normal criminal – a person who commits crimes because he looks up to, idolizes people who
are criminals.

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 2. According to the type of offender:

 Ordinary criminal – a criminal who engages in crimes which do not require specialized or
technical skill

 Organized criminal – is one who possesses some skills and know-how which enable him
to commit crimes and evade detection.

 Professional criminal – a highly skilled criminals which are engaged in a large scale
criminal activities ad usually operate in groups

 3. According to criminal activities:

A .Professional criminal – a criminal who earns his living through criminal activities.

B .Situational criminal – a person who got involved in criminal act because the situation
presented itself.

c. Habitual criminal – one who repeatedly commits criminal act for different reasons.

d. Accidental criminal – a person who accidentally violated the law due to some
circumstances.

OTHER THEORISTS

1. Charles Darwin’s Theory (1809 - 1882) - In the theory of evolution, he claimed that humans,
like other animals, are parasite. Man is an organism having an animalistic behavior that is dependent on
other animals for survival. Thus, man kills and steal to live.

2. Charles Goring’s Theory (1870 - 1919) - The medical officer in prison in England who accepted
the Lombroso’s challenge that body physique is a determinant to behavior. Goring concluded that there
is no such thing a physical chemical type. He contradicted the Lombroso’s idea that criminality can be
seen through features alone. Nevertheless, Goring accepted that criminals are physically inferior to
normal individuals in the sense that criminals tend to be shorter and have less weight than non-
criminals.

3. Earnest Hooton’s Theory (1887 - 1954) - An Anthropologist who reexamined the work of
Goring and found out that “Tall thin men tend to commit forgery and fraud, undersized men are thieves
and burglars, short heavy person commit assault, rape and other sex crimes; where as mediocre
(average) physique flounder around among other crimes.” He also contended that criminals are
originally inferior; and that crime is the result of the impact of environment.

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4. Adolphe Quetelet (1796 - 1874) - Quetelet was a Belgian Statistician who pioneered
Cartography and the Carthographical School of Criminology that placed emphasis on social statistics. He
discovered, basing on his research, that crimes against persons increased during summer and crimes
against property tends to increase during winter.

INFORMATION

Name of Faculty: John Paul I. Paz

Contact no. : 09975494599

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