NCJ Number
154185
Date Published
1993
Length
540 pages
Annotation
This book provides an overview of current theory and research in criminology, emphasizing the psychological perspective, but also giving weight to sociological perspectives and the integration of psychological and sociological factors in criminality.
Abstract
The book opens with a presentation of the empirical data on offenses, offenders, the police, and the courts. In setting out the main findings for which theories of crime must account, the author includes the possibility that the operation of the criminal justice system may both compound the crime problem and make explanations more difficult. The second section of the book describes and assesses the major approaches to the explanation of crime. Beginning with biological factors and proceeding through individual differences -- including intelligence, personality, and mental disorder -- it moves on to childhood behaviors and experiences within the home, school, and with peers, along with social factors of economics, culture, and community. The section then provides an overview of sociological theories of crime and shows the overlaps between these and several psychological approaches. The final chapter in this section discusses cognitive/behavioral theories, focusing on social learning and rational-choice theory. The final section of the book addresses the range of social attempts to respond to offenses and offenders. Included in the discussion are methods in current use, from probation to the death penalty, as well as the psychological and social impact of imprisonment. Also reviewed are psychological treatments for offenders, mainly behavioral in emphasis, and a range of attempts at crime deterrence. 1,000 references and author and subject indexes