NCJ Number
53282
Date Published
1978
Length
27 pages
Annotation
CONTEMPORARY BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIOCULTURAL EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME ARE REVIEWED AND ASSESSED, WITH A VIEW TO EVALUATING PROGRESS TOWARD ESTABLISHING A UNIFIED THEORY OF CRIME.
Abstract
THE IDEA BEHIND BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS IS THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S PHYSIOLOGICAL MAKEUP, IN TERMS OF HEREDITARY AND/OR NONHEREDITARY FACTORS, INFLUENCES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE, WHICH MAY PUSH THE INDIVIDUAL TOWARD CRIME AND/OR FAIL TO PULL THE INDIVIDUAL AWAY FROM CRIME. EVIDENCE IS TENTATIVE, BUT IT IS REASONABLE TO BELIEVE THAT, WHERE BIOLOGICAL FACTORS CAN BE LINKED TO CRIME, THEY OPERATE ONLY THROUGH INTERACTION WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS. PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS, WHICH FOCUS ON MENTAL PROCESSES AND PERSONALITY, POSIT FOUR CAUSAL MECHANISMS FOR CRIME: (1) RARE INSTANCES IN WHICH A POWERFUL IMPULSE COMPELS AN INDIVIDUAL TO COMMIT A PARTICULAR CRIME; (2) MORE GENERALIZED TENDENCIES PUSHING AN INDIVIDUAL TOWARD UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR, SOMETIMES INCLUDING CRIME; (3) THE EFFECTS OF LEARNING (CAPACITY FOR IT, CONTENT, THOROUGHNESS) ON CONFORMING AND/OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR; AND (4) THE EFFECTS OF THE REACTIONS OF OTHERS IN DETERMINING FUTURE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND PERHAPS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS HAVE A GOOD DEAL IN COMMON, BOTH IN THE OUTLINE OF THEIR ARGUMENTS AND IN THEIR THEORETICAL ENTANGLEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS. THIS COMMONALITY AUGERS WELL FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPLANATION. SOCIOCULTURAL EXPLANATIONS INCLUDE THEORIES BASED ON CULTURAL LEARNING (SUBCULTURE OF VIOLENCE, ANOMIE, DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION); THE EFFECT OF SOCIETY ON SELF (CONTAINMENT AND LABELING THEORIES); AND SOCIETAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS (FUNCTIONALISM, RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL THEORIES). THESE THEORIES ENCOMPASS FOUR BASIS FACTORS: (1) CULTURAL CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION (THE SPECIFIC VALUES, NORMS, AND BELIEFS BEING LEARNED OR NOT LEARNED, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL CONFLICTS AMONG SUBCULTURES AND BETWEEN SUBCULTURES AND THE GENERAL CULTURE); (2) IMMEDIATE SOCIAL SITUATIONS, SUCH AS SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR A PARTICULAR BEHAVIOR OR SITUATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CRIME; (3) THE EFFECT OF SOCIETY (FAMILY, SCHOOL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM CONTACTS) ON SELF-CONCEPT; AND (4) SOCIAL STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION (E.G., POWER DIFFERENTIALS IN SOCIETY AND WEAK POINTS IN SOCIETAL FUNCTIONING). SOCIOCULTURAL EXPLANATIONS DIFFER IN FOCUS FROM BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS, BUT THERE ARE OVERLAPS AMONG ALL THREE PERSPECTIVES. ANALYSIS OF EACH CATEGORY OF EXPLANATIONS SUGGESTS THAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE TOWARD ATTAINING A COMPREHENSIVE THEORY. THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS TOWARD GREATER INTERDISCIPLINARY COOPERATION. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)