CRIMINOLOGY, PENOLOGY, VICTIMOLOGY: Class report dated 0708/2021

In our previous class dated 7th August 11, 2021, we stated out discussion with neutralization
theory which basically deals with why a person commits a crime and how it is justified. This
theory was introduced by Sykes and Matza. Criminals look for loopholes and explanation and
then tries to justify themselves, rather thinks what they have done is right. They believe that
entire system is oppressing them. There are 4 aspects to this theory, as to how deviants try to
neutralize their crime:

1. Denial of responsibility: The offender perceives himself/herself as a victim for the way
how society treats them, and others are responsible for their action.
2. Denial of injury: here they make it less serious than the crime committed and say this is
not the injury.
3. Denial of victim: the offender believe that the victim deserves that the crime is
committed.
4. Appeal to higher loyalty: here the offender claim that the act committed by them was in
interest of others on that basis of a supreme cultural, or religion, etc.

Whenever a person commits crime, these are the steps that go through that person’s mind an
how he/she justifies their action.

This theory is different form subcultural theory. In sub cultural theory, offenders don’t
believe or ignore the norms set by the society. But in the neutralization theory, they justify
theor actions on basis of these norms.

Implication of the theory:

no solution has been given by this theory. It just tells how the crime is justified and neutralized.
They say the society oppresses them because of their Economic condition. This is both an
implication as w-ell as criticism. If someone has good socio-economic situation, the moral
education is given rights and child who grew in such a society will think that it is morally wrong
to commit a crime,
Criticism: another criticism to this theory is that the theory is perceived from the lens of the
offender and not victim. It only tells why a person commits crime and does not provide any
solution to it.

Then we discussed upon the concepts of Labelling theory.

There always exists inequality in the society. Some are perceived as more powerful than others.
This theory argues that criminals and deviant act area result of labelling authorities. More
powerless are more likely to be labeled negatively. The key idea here is that crime is socially
constructed. People become criminal not because of their social background but because of how
they are labeled. Right and wrongs are created by the society. The powerful system labels who
re deviant to them. A crime is something that is labelled as a crime by the society. There is
nothing problematic as such.

The 4 key concepts associated with this theory are:

1. Firstly, crime is sociology constructed. So here there are two types, mala in se and mala
prohibita. Mala in se, example, be it any country murder is considered as inherited crime
and mala prohibita.is not a crime but is constructed as crime as we legislate it. So not all
laws are socially constructed but some are inherently considered as a crime. This is also
one of the criticisms of the theory.
2. Secondly, not everyone who is deviant gets labeled as such: the powerful labels the
powerless
3. Thirdly, labeling has real consequences: it does not decrease the deviant behavior, instead
encourage the same. when se label a particular section, it has consequences.
4. Label ling and criminal justice policy: if we reduce the number of rules and stop
criminalizing every activity, it will reduce crime, but this is not a solution to it. There
should be more policies to prevent labelling

Criticisms of labelling theory:

1. The theory states that powerful labels powerless. Nut not everyone accepts the label.
2. Then it states that offenders are just passive and innocent as they gets labled but thisdoes
not justify the act done by them.
 3. Thirdly, the theory perceives offenders as victim only. Whereas realist argues that this
theory ignores the real victim of the crime,’
4. Forthly. The theory fails to explain the primary deviant and only focused upon the
secondary deviant.
5. Fifthly, structural sociologist argues that there are more deep theores than labeling theiry
which explains the deviant behavior, than just labelling and interaction.

In todays class we will discuss on the multi factor approach

MULTI FACTOR APPROACH:

Mobility and crime concern: people move form one place to another. Travel a lot. According to
Cohen, adherents of this theory confused factor with

Culture conflict: heterogenous society. Does not talk about change or norms. Dynamic society
social change is an inevitable phenomenon. The impact of modernization, urbanization, and
industrialization.

Mobility theory and cultural theory overlap each other.

Family Background: before they learn from outsider, they learn from their family.