Sociological reasons why people commit crimes

Researchers have proposed various theories examining social and environmental factors that influence or drive individuals to commit crime. Some theories point to elements like neighborhood dynamics, pressure caused by cultural goals and social structures, and the development of subcultural systems as the reasons for criminal behavior.

Other theories suggest factors like rational choice, feelings of being unfairly disadvantaged compared to peers, and various biological and social elements as criminal influences. A key psychological theory is behavioral theory, which postulates committing a crime is a learned response to situations.

Another prime theory is cognitive theory, which explores how individuals solve problems through moral development and information processing. Psychological theories scrutinize personality traits like extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness when examining criminal behavior.

Additionally, they examine the concept of the psychopathic personality, where an individual may engage in criminal thrill-seeking behavior to compensate for low arousal levels. Studies indicate that personality traits of hostility, narcissism, and impulsivity correlate with criminal and delinquent behavior. As more research is conducted to understand the criminal mind, forensic psychologists will be able to apply these findings to aid the criminal justice system in understanding and prosecuting delinquent behavior.

Social and community service managers will work alongside the criminal justice system to identify community needs and implement programs to help prevent and respond to crime. Social and community service managers identify necessary programs and services for communities, implement and analyze suggested programs, and oversee outreach efforts to raise awareness for a program of service.

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists provide social services to assist in rehabilitating law offenders. They also assess progress through interviews with offenders, their friends, and their families. What are some different types of crime?

Why are some offensive behaviors considered crimes, but others are not? And what can we do to influence rates of criminal behavior in society? There are many sociological theories of crime, and each approaches these types of questions in a slightly different way. Some popular social theories tend to focus on social or structural factors of society, such as learned mannerisms or the influence of poverty on the behavior of various groups.

Each approach has its own strengths and weaknesses. Understanding the criminal mind is essential for those who want to work in fields such as criminal justice or criminal psychology. In order to understand various sociological theories about crime, it helps to start by learning the four main theories about social deviance. Those theories can help provide a useful and necessary context for approaching other kinds of sociological theories, and will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of crime and the criminal mind.

Theories are perceptual tools that people use to order, name, and shape a picture of the world. As such, they play an essential role in the way we interpret facts. Several competing theories attempting to explain the same evidence can arrive at separate conclusions. In other words, differing assumptions about human nature and its relation to social order.

A legal definition of crime can be simple: crime is a violation of the law. There are many different ways to define crime, many different theories about the origins of criminal activity, and just as many sociological theories of crime.

While there is no simple definition within the field of sociology, broadly speaking, you could say that crime is the study of social deviance and violations of established norms. But why do those norms exist? Some sociologists ask us to reflect on the creation of individual laws: Whose interests are served by the law in question?

Who benefits, and who pays the costs of various behaviors that are classified as illegal? The public cry for more prisons and tougher sentences outweighed rehabilitation and the treatment of criminals. Researchers in the twenty-first century, however, continued to look at psychological stress as a driving force behind some crimes. Searching for the origins of antisocial personality disorders and their influence over crime led to studies of twins and adopted children in the s.

Identical twins have the exact same genetic makeup. Researchers found that identical twins were twice as likely to have similar criminal behavior than fraternal twins who have similar but not identical genes, just like any two siblings.

Other research indicated that adopted children had greater similarities of crime rates to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents. These studies suggested a genetic basis for some criminal behavior. Prisoner in California being prepared for a lobotomy in At the time, many psychiatrists believed that criminal behavior was lodged in certain parts of the brain, and lobotomies were frequently done on prisoners.

With new advances in medical technology, the search for biological causes of criminal behavior became more sophisticated. In psychologist Robert Hare identified a connection between certain brain activity and antisocial behavior.

He found that criminals experienced less brain reaction to dangerous situations than most people. Such a brain function, he believed, could lead to greater risk-taking in life, with some criminals not fearing punishment as much as others. Studies related to brain activity and crime continued into the early twenty-first century. Testing with advanced instruments probed the inner workings of the brain. With techniques called computerized tomography CT scans , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , and positron emission tomography PET , researchers searched for links between brain activity and a tendency to commit crime.

Each of these tests can reveal brain activity. Research on brain activity investigated the role of neurochemicals, substances the brain releases to trigger body activity, and hormones in influencing criminal behavior. Studies indicated that increased levels of some neurochemicals, such as serotonin, decreases aggression.

Serotonin is a substance produced by the central nervous system that has broad sweeping effects on the emotional state of the individual. In contrast higher levels of others, such as dopamine, increased aggression. Dopamine is produced by the brain and affects heart rate and blood pressure.

Researchers expected to find that persons who committed violent crimes have reduced levels of serotonin and higher levels of dopamine. This condition would have led to periods of greater activity including aggression if the person is prone towards aggression.

In the early twenty-first century researchers continued investigating the relationship between neurochemicals and antisocial behavior, yet connections proved complicated.

Studies showed, for example, that even body size could influence the effects of neurochemicals and behavior. Hormones are bodily substances that affect how organs in the body function. Researchers also looked at the relationship between hormones, such as testosterone and cortisol, and criminal behavior. Testosterone is a sex hormone produced by male sexual organs that cause development of masculine body traits. Cortisol is a hormone produced by adrenal glands located next to the kidneys that effects how quickly food is processed by the digestive system.

Higher cortisol levels leads to more glucose to the brain for greater energy, such as in times of stress or danger. Animal studies showed a strong link between high levels of testosterone and aggressive behavior. Testosterone measurements in prison populations also showed relatively high levels in the inmates as compared to the U.

Studies of sex offenders in Germany showed that those who were treated to remove testosterone as part of their sentencing became repeat offenders only 3 percent of the time. This rate was in stark contrast to the usual 46 percent repeat rate. These and similar studies indicate testosterone can have a strong bearing on criminal behavior. Cortisol is another hormone linked to criminal behavior. Research suggested that when the cortisol level is high a person's attention is sharp and he or she is physically active.

In contrast, researchers found low levels of cortisol were associated with short attention spans, lower activity levels, and often linked to antisocial behavior including crime. Studies of violent adults have shown lower levels of cortisol; some believe this low level serves to numb an offender to the usual fear associated with committing a crime and possibly getting caught. It is difficult to isolate brain activity from social and psychological factors, as well as the effects of substance abuse, parental relations, and education.

Yet since some criminals are driven by factors largely out of their control, punishment will not be an effective deterrent. As cultures change and the political environment shifts, societies may criminalize or decriminalize certain behaviors, which directly affects crime statistics and social perception of crime and deviant behavior..

As cultures change and the political environment shifts, societies may criminalize or decriminalize certain behaviors, which directly affects the crime statistics.

Crime statistics refers to the collection and calculation on data on crime in a given location. Key Terms criminalization : The act of making a previously legal activity illegal. Deviant Behavior : The violation of prevailing norms or cultural standards prescribing how humans ought to behave.

Types of Crime Criminal law, as opposed to civil law, is the body of law that relates to crime and that defines conduct that is not allowed. Learning Objectives Identify and differentiate between different types of crimes. Key Takeaways Key Points In criminal law, an offense against the person usually refers to a crime which is committed by direct physical harm or force being applied to another person.

Property crime involves the taking of money or property, and does not involve force or threat of force against a victim. Organized crime is the transnational, national, or local grouping of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity. Organized crime are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity Key Terms Property Crime : Property crime is a category of crime that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism.

Violent Crime : A violent crime, or crime of violence, is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, including criminal ends such as robbery. Crime Statistics Crime statistics attempt to provide statistical measures of the crime in societies.

Learning Objectives Evaluate U. Key Takeaways Key Points The two major methods for collecting crime data are law enforcement reports and victimization statistical surveys.

Statistics from law enforcement organizations are normally readily available and are generally reliable in terms of identifying what crime is being dealt with by law enforcement organizations. Victimization surveys are useful because they show some types of crime are well reported to law enforcement officials, while other types of crime are under reported. Key Terms Victimization Statistical Surveys : The survey results are used for the purposes of building a crime index.

Juvenile Crime Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behaviors by minors. Learning Objectives Describe the factors that influence the development of delinquency in youth and the ways the legal system deals with this delinquency.

Key Takeaways Key Points A juvenile delinquent is a person who is typically under the age of 18 and commits an act that otherwise would have been charged as a crime had they been an adult. There are three categories of juvenile delinquency: delinquency, criminal behavior, and status offenses. Delinquency includes crimes committed by minors which are dealt with by the juvenile courts and justice system.

Criminal behavior are crimes dealt with by the criminal justice system. Status offenses are offenses which are only classified as such because the person is a minor; they also dealt with by the juvenile courts. Poverty is a large predictor of low parental monitoring, harsh parenting, and association with deviant peer groups, all of which are in turn associated with juvenile offending. Family factors also have an influence on delinquency. Family factors which may have an influence on offending include: the level of parental supervision, the way parents discipline a child, particularly harsh punishment, parental conflict or separation, criminal parents or siblings, parental abuse or neglect, and the quality of the parent-child relationship Delinquency prevention is the broad term for all efforts aimed at preventing youth from becoming involved in criminal, or other antisocial, activity.

Key Terms Delinquency Prevention : Delinquency prevention is the broad term for all efforts aimed at preventing youth from becoming involved in criminal or other antisocial activity. Prevention services may include activities such as substance abuse education and treatment, family counseling, youth mentoring, parenting education, educational support, and youth sheltering.

Increasing availability and use of family planning services, including education and contraceptives helps to reduce unintended pregnancy and unwanted births, which are risk factors for delinquency. Status Offenses : A status offense is an action that is prohibited only to a certain class of people, and most often applied to offenses only committed by minors.

Violent Crime A violent crime is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. With the exception of rape, males are the primary victims of all forms of violent crime. The rate of violent crime victimization in the United States declined by more than two thirds between the years and Key Terms Simple Assault : In law, assault is a crime which involves causing a victim to apprehend violence.

Property Crime Property crime only involves the taking of money or property, and does not involve force or threat of force against a victim. Learning Objectives Discuss different types of property crime. Key Takeaways Key Points Burglary of residences, retail establishments, and other commercial facilities involves breaking and entering, and then stealing property. Key Terms burglary : The crime of unlawfully breaking into a vehicle, house, store, or other enclosure with the intent to steal.

It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts. Property Crime : Property crime is a category of crime that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism.

White-Collar Crime White-collar crime is a financially motivated, nonviolent crime committed for illegal monetary gain. Key Takeaways Key Points White-collar crime, is similar to corporate crime, because white-collar employees are more likely to commit fraud, bribery, ponzi schemes, insider trading, embezzlement, cyber crime, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft, and forgery.

White collar crimes stand in contrast to blue-collar street crimes include arson, burglary, theft, assault, rape, and vandalism.

Organized Crime Organized crime refers to transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals.

Learning Objectives Compare and contrast patron-client networks and bureaucratic organized crime groups. Key Takeaways Key Points An organized gang or criminal set can also be referred to as a mob.