Category Theory Main principles Limitations Policy implications
Week 1 Cesare Beccaria Humans are free, equal, and rational Assumption that people are equal:
Classical theory Proportionality principle: punishment everyone has different backgrounds
proportionate to criminal act
Social contract (people give up some How could a system designed to allow
freedom in exchange for protection) some people to create more wealth than
others, and therefore become materially
unequal, maintain that in law all persons
are equal?
Why do some people commit more crimes
than others, if they are all equally endowed
with reason?
Jeremy Bentham Hedonist approach: people act to
increase positivist results and to
reduce negative results
Founder of utilitarian school: seeking
as much happiness as possible
sentences instead of physical harm Shift from deterrence to justice
Punishment has to reduce greater evil
Neo-classical theory Rational choice Explains how some people consciously Both rational choice and routine-activity Manipulate the opportunity
theory and rationally choose to commit theory claim that criminal decisions are structure
criminal acts neither fully rational nor thoroughly
considered
Routine activity Considers how everyday life brings Both: Situational Crime Prevention:
theory (extension together at a particular place and Crime displacement Harden prospective targets
of rational choice moment potential offenders, crime
theory) targets, and vulnerability Coincidence in time and place: in some Reduce the number of likely offenders
presence of motivated offender and crimes victims have to be available, but
suitable targets in the absence of with some not (such as burglary). Routine- Increasing presence of guardians of
capable guardians activity theory blames the victim. potential victims
,Category Theory Main principles Limitations Policy implications
Neo-classical theory Situational and Adjusting the environment (situation) Does not take into account differences
opportunity to reduce the opportunity for between individuals
theories committing a crime
Should not only work in a deterrent
way, but also a preventive way
Week 2 Lombroso (Italian Atavism: a tendency to revert to Early biological perspectives: Depends on version, but most involve
Biological perspective school) something ancient / criminal can be some prediction and prevention and
spotted by these atavistic, more Methodological weaknesses: most focused some kind of therapeutic intervention,
primitive features: Asymmetry of the on the criminals, which makes it subjective assisted by drugs to correct and control
face traits.
Some people are more prone to crime Conceptually limited – “criminal” is a legal
than others definition, not biological: the legal
Free will becomes determination definition can be changed, but the legal
Classes of criminals: born criminals, one cannot.
criminals by passion, insane criminal
and occasional criminal Simplistic (universal theory)
Environmental factors influence crime
Tends to reinforce sexist, racist and classist
beliefs of crime
Positivist Positivist method: Application of
approach scientific methods in the study of
human behavior: observation,
experiment and controlled samples as
method
, Category Theory Main principle Limitations Policy implications
Biological approach Biosocial Environment and experience have an Criminal behavior itself is legal rather than If inheritable predispositions, such as
approach impact on behavior, but most actions a behavioral category and a category that genes or chromosomes are the
are controlled by a person’s biological comprises different behavioral types causes of crime then preventive policy
machine should involve identifying those individua
Many factors restrict and channel an Rarely distinguishment between occasional potentially predisposed prior to their
individual’s decision to act criminals and such behavior because of creation of harm.
situational factors
Environmental manipulations
can also be successful in reducing the
incidence of crime.
Cure the sickness (but is
unethical).
Indeterminate sentences are designed
for each individual off ender, based on
his or her needs, with treatment length
dependent on the time taken to cure or
remove the cause.
Psychological perspective Psychoanalytical Key to the mind is its unconscious One frequent criticism is that it is
theory (next 2 process tautological (the theory implies in its
theories are Ego, Id and Self premise what is then made explicit in the
examples) Primitive drives of the id combine with conclusion, making it repetitious rather
weak ego and superego development than explanatory).
because of (a) failed parental
socialization, (b) unconscious guilt, (c) Psychoanalysis is a demeaning,
oedipal conflict, and (d) aggression. “conforming force” that defines women as
Two psychoanalytical theories “castrated men” and seeks to “confine
them to limited roles within the family”.
Circular reasoning
Week 1 Cesare Beccaria Humans are free, equal, and rational Assumption that people are equal:
Classical theory Proportionality principle: punishment everyone has different backgrounds
proportionate to criminal act
Social contract (people give up some How could a system designed to allow
freedom in exchange for protection) some people to create more wealth than
others, and therefore become materially
unequal, maintain that in law all persons
are equal?
Why do some people commit more crimes
than others, if they are all equally endowed
with reason?
Jeremy Bentham Hedonist approach: people act to
increase positivist results and to
reduce negative results
Founder of utilitarian school: seeking
as much happiness as possible
sentences instead of physical harm Shift from deterrence to justice
Punishment has to reduce greater evil
Neo-classical theory Rational choice Explains how some people consciously Both rational choice and routine-activity Manipulate the opportunity
theory and rationally choose to commit theory claim that criminal decisions are structure
criminal acts neither fully rational nor thoroughly
considered
Routine activity Considers how everyday life brings Both: Situational Crime Prevention:
theory (extension together at a particular place and Crime displacement Harden prospective targets
of rational choice moment potential offenders, crime
theory) targets, and vulnerability Coincidence in time and place: in some Reduce the number of likely offenders
presence of motivated offender and crimes victims have to be available, but
suitable targets in the absence of with some not (such as burglary). Routine- Increasing presence of guardians of
capable guardians activity theory blames the victim. potential victims
,Category Theory Main principles Limitations Policy implications
Neo-classical theory Situational and Adjusting the environment (situation) Does not take into account differences
opportunity to reduce the opportunity for between individuals
theories committing a crime
Should not only work in a deterrent
way, but also a preventive way
Week 2 Lombroso (Italian Atavism: a tendency to revert to Early biological perspectives: Depends on version, but most involve
Biological perspective school) something ancient / criminal can be some prediction and prevention and
spotted by these atavistic, more Methodological weaknesses: most focused some kind of therapeutic intervention,
primitive features: Asymmetry of the on the criminals, which makes it subjective assisted by drugs to correct and control
face traits.
Some people are more prone to crime Conceptually limited – “criminal” is a legal
than others definition, not biological: the legal
Free will becomes determination definition can be changed, but the legal
Classes of criminals: born criminals, one cannot.
criminals by passion, insane criminal
and occasional criminal Simplistic (universal theory)
Environmental factors influence crime
Tends to reinforce sexist, racist and classist
beliefs of crime
Positivist Positivist method: Application of
approach scientific methods in the study of
human behavior: observation,
experiment and controlled samples as
method
, Category Theory Main principle Limitations Policy implications
Biological approach Biosocial Environment and experience have an Criminal behavior itself is legal rather than If inheritable predispositions, such as
approach impact on behavior, but most actions a behavioral category and a category that genes or chromosomes are the
are controlled by a person’s biological comprises different behavioral types causes of crime then preventive policy
machine should involve identifying those individua
Many factors restrict and channel an Rarely distinguishment between occasional potentially predisposed prior to their
individual’s decision to act criminals and such behavior because of creation of harm.
situational factors
Environmental manipulations
can also be successful in reducing the
incidence of crime.
Cure the sickness (but is
unethical).
Indeterminate sentences are designed
for each individual off ender, based on
his or her needs, with treatment length
dependent on the time taken to cure or
remove the cause.
Psychological perspective Psychoanalytical Key to the mind is its unconscious One frequent criticism is that it is
theory (next 2 process tautological (the theory implies in its
theories are Ego, Id and Self premise what is then made explicit in the
examples) Primitive drives of the id combine with conclusion, making it repetitious rather
weak ego and superego development than explanatory).
because of (a) failed parental
socialization, (b) unconscious guilt, (c) Psychoanalysis is a demeaning,
oedipal conflict, and (d) aggression. “conforming force” that defines women as
Two psychoanalytical theories “castrated men” and seeks to “confine
them to limited roles within the family”.
Circular reasoning
