🧭
Overview of all theories
Class AC
Type Summary
Materials Different sources
Reviewed
18-19th
Classical School
Rational Choice Theory
End of 19th century
Early Bio-psychological Positivism
Atavism
French Criminological Sociology
1920-1950
Heredity Psychoanalytic Theories
Bonding Theories
Cognitive personality Theories
Learning Theories
Anomie & Strain theories
Relative Deprivation
Chicago School
Cultural Conflict
Overview of all theories 1
, Social Disorganisation
Differential Association Theory
Differential Identification Theory
American Subculture Theories
Early Marxism
1950-1970
Ecological Theories
Control Theories
Stigma
Labeling Theory
Moral Panic Theories
Liberal Feminism
Critical Criminology
Radical Criminology
Neo-Marxism
Radical Abolitionism
Neutralization and Drift theory
1970-1990
Routine Activity Theories
Situational Crime Prevention
Birmingham School (English Subcult Theories)
Broken Windows Theory (Wilson)
After 1990
Right Realism
Social learning theory (1997)
General Crime Theories
Situational crime prevention
Development and Life Course Criminology
Left Realism
Penal State
Late modern Theories
Social Exclusion Theories
Cultural Criminology
Green Criminology
Blue Criminology
Queer Criminology
Digital Criminology
Gendered theory
1. Classical paradigm 4. Interactionism
2. Bio-psychological paradigm 5. Critical paradigm
Overview of all theories 2
, 3. Sociological paradigm
18-19th
Classical School
Important names:
Beccaria:
Philosopher and politician from Italia. Criminals owe a debt to society and
punishments should be fitting to the seriousness of the crime. Torture was
useless and barbaric. He was a strong supporter of the social contract. His
theory of criminal behaviour is based on free will and hedonism where he
proposes that all human behaviour is essentially purposive and based on the
pleasure-pain principle. He made a list of thirteen propositions. He was also
hanging onto the idea of elected legislators.
Bentham:
Very similar to the ideas of Beccaria and had a utilitarian approach. People
are rational creatures who will seek pleasure while trying to avoid pain. Thus,
punishment must outweigh any pleasure derived from criminal behaviour, but
the law must not be as harsh and severe as to reduce the happiness. Capital
punishment is a no-go. Bentham also designed the Panopticon, a type of
prison designed to work through constant surveillance. Bentham saw
recidivism as a really important concept, he stated that punishments should
be higher for reoffenders.
“The greatest happiness of the greatest number” - Beccaria
In general
Crime is… a free-will decision made by rational humanbeings. The classical view
in criminology states that this choice is made by applying the pain-pleasure
principle: people act in ways that maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
For Bentham, criminals were not incorrigible monsters but forward children, who
lacked the self-discipline to control their passions according to the dictates of
reason.
Limitations
Overview of all theories 3
, Are individuals treated equally on the basis of intellectual ability, age, mental
capacity and gender today?
Does this fit in a system in which a numer of people receive more prosperity
while all persons are formally equal?
Why dp some people commit more crimes than others, when they would all
habe the same sense?
Can we really treat everyone as equal?
Rational Choice Theory
Rational choice theory explains how people consciously and rationally choose to
commit crimes. Potential offenders with free will consider the net benefits of
committing. Circumstances, situations and possibilities influence decisions, as
these factors are taken into account in the calculations of the cost-benefit
analyses of the risks (deterrence).
Strategies for controlling crime:
1. General Deterrence = people will commit crime and delinquency if they
perceive that the benefits outweigh the risks. Crime is a function of severity,
certainty and speed of punishment.
2. Specific dederence = if punishment is severe enough, criminal will not repeat
their illegal act.
3. Incapacitation = keeping known criminals out of circulation will reduce crime
rate.
End of 19th century
Early Bio-psychological Positivism
Important names:
Lombroso: Italian criminologist and founder of the Italian School of Positivist
Criminology. His early work represents the idea that criminals represent a
physical type distinct from non-criminals. He thought that criminals were
atavistic, throwbacks to earlier forms of evolutionary life. Lombroso started to
Overview of all theories 4
Overview of all theories
Class AC
Type Summary
Materials Different sources
Reviewed
18-19th
Classical School
Rational Choice Theory
End of 19th century
Early Bio-psychological Positivism
Atavism
French Criminological Sociology
1920-1950
Heredity Psychoanalytic Theories
Bonding Theories
Cognitive personality Theories
Learning Theories
Anomie & Strain theories
Relative Deprivation
Chicago School
Cultural Conflict
Overview of all theories 1
, Social Disorganisation
Differential Association Theory
Differential Identification Theory
American Subculture Theories
Early Marxism
1950-1970
Ecological Theories
Control Theories
Stigma
Labeling Theory
Moral Panic Theories
Liberal Feminism
Critical Criminology
Radical Criminology
Neo-Marxism
Radical Abolitionism
Neutralization and Drift theory
1970-1990
Routine Activity Theories
Situational Crime Prevention
Birmingham School (English Subcult Theories)
Broken Windows Theory (Wilson)
After 1990
Right Realism
Social learning theory (1997)
General Crime Theories
Situational crime prevention
Development and Life Course Criminology
Left Realism
Penal State
Late modern Theories
Social Exclusion Theories
Cultural Criminology
Green Criminology
Blue Criminology
Queer Criminology
Digital Criminology
Gendered theory
1. Classical paradigm 4. Interactionism
2. Bio-psychological paradigm 5. Critical paradigm
Overview of all theories 2
, 3. Sociological paradigm
18-19th
Classical School
Important names:
Beccaria:
Philosopher and politician from Italia. Criminals owe a debt to society and
punishments should be fitting to the seriousness of the crime. Torture was
useless and barbaric. He was a strong supporter of the social contract. His
theory of criminal behaviour is based on free will and hedonism where he
proposes that all human behaviour is essentially purposive and based on the
pleasure-pain principle. He made a list of thirteen propositions. He was also
hanging onto the idea of elected legislators.
Bentham:
Very similar to the ideas of Beccaria and had a utilitarian approach. People
are rational creatures who will seek pleasure while trying to avoid pain. Thus,
punishment must outweigh any pleasure derived from criminal behaviour, but
the law must not be as harsh and severe as to reduce the happiness. Capital
punishment is a no-go. Bentham also designed the Panopticon, a type of
prison designed to work through constant surveillance. Bentham saw
recidivism as a really important concept, he stated that punishments should
be higher for reoffenders.
“The greatest happiness of the greatest number” - Beccaria
In general
Crime is… a free-will decision made by rational humanbeings. The classical view
in criminology states that this choice is made by applying the pain-pleasure
principle: people act in ways that maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
For Bentham, criminals were not incorrigible monsters but forward children, who
lacked the self-discipline to control their passions according to the dictates of
reason.
Limitations
Overview of all theories 3
, Are individuals treated equally on the basis of intellectual ability, age, mental
capacity and gender today?
Does this fit in a system in which a numer of people receive more prosperity
while all persons are formally equal?
Why dp some people commit more crimes than others, when they would all
habe the same sense?
Can we really treat everyone as equal?
Rational Choice Theory
Rational choice theory explains how people consciously and rationally choose to
commit crimes. Potential offenders with free will consider the net benefits of
committing. Circumstances, situations and possibilities influence decisions, as
these factors are taken into account in the calculations of the cost-benefit
analyses of the risks (deterrence).
Strategies for controlling crime:
1. General Deterrence = people will commit crime and delinquency if they
perceive that the benefits outweigh the risks. Crime is a function of severity,
certainty and speed of punishment.
2. Specific dederence = if punishment is severe enough, criminal will not repeat
their illegal act.
3. Incapacitation = keeping known criminals out of circulation will reduce crime
rate.
End of 19th century
Early Bio-psychological Positivism
Important names:
Lombroso: Italian criminologist and founder of the Italian School of Positivist
Criminology. His early work represents the idea that criminals represent a
physical type distinct from non-criminals. He thought that criminals were
atavistic, throwbacks to earlier forms of evolutionary life. Lombroso started to
Overview of all theories 4
