 THEORIES OF CRIME

Theory is a set of statements devised to explain behavior, events or

phenomenon, especially one that has been repeatedly tested and widely accepted. 
There are several approaches in the study of criminology under the Positivist
School of Criminology. These are biological, psychological and sociological perspective
of crime. Some of these theories have already been given new names although
substantially they remain the same. While some have already developed into
another set of theories, and others may have already been discredited due to discovery
of new facts that proved such theories to be false. Because criminology is dynamic,
new theories continue to be formulated as new facts continue to be discovered
and introduced as the world continues to evolve. Still, it is important to study the
evolution of the theories of crime causation in order to better understand how the
modern explanations of the causes of crime about. Several important positivists and
their contributions to the understanding and determination of the different causes their
work shaped the theories of today.
DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT
School of Thought – refers to a group of beliefs or ideas that support a specific
theory.
1. DEMONOLOGICAL THEORY
This theory explained that crimes are believed to be caused by the devil/demons
or other supernatural explanations that a person who violated the social norms and
religious beliefs was caused by the evil spirit.

2. CLASSICAL SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY

This school of thought is based on the assumption that individuals choose to
commit crimes after weighing the consequences of their actions. According to classical
criminologists, individuals have free will. They can choose legal or illegal means to get
what they wanted, fear of punishment can deter them from committing crime and
society can control behavior by making the pain of punishment greater than the
pleasure of the criminal gains.
This theory, however, does not give any distinction between an adult and a minor
or a mentally-handicapped in as far as free will is concerned. Founders of classical
school of criminology are Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham.
Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham – are the founders of the classical school
of thought of criminology.

Cesare Beccaria – is best known for his treatise, On Crime and Punishment, which
presented a coherent and comprehensive design for an enlightened criminal justice
system that was to serve the people but its greater contribution was the foundation it
laid for subsequent changes in criminal legislation.
 Jeremy Bentham –his contribution to classical school of criminology is the concept
of utilitarianism and felicific calculus.

A. Utilitarianism is a philosophy which argues that what is right is the one that
would cause the greatest good for the greatest number of people or it is also
known as the greatest happiness principle or the principle of utility.

B. Felicific Calculus or the pleasure and pain principle is a theory that proposes
that individuals calculate the consequences of his actions by weighing the gain or
pleasure and the suffering or pain he would derive from doing the action.

3. NEOCLASSICAL SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY

This theory modified the doctrine of free will by stating that free will of men may
be affected by other factors and crime is committed due to some compelling reasons
that prevail. These causes are pathology, incompetence, insanity or any condition that
will make it impossible for the individual to exercise free will entirely. In the study of
legal provisions, this is termed as either mitigating or exempting circumstances. This
theory does not make any distinction between adult and child, it punishes offenders
alike.

4. POSITIVIST SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY

This refers to a perspective that believes causes of behavior can be measured
and observed wherein the knowledge and study of crime and criminals were changed
into a scientific approach.

August Comte is recognized as the father of sociology and positivism and was
the first one who used scientific methods on studying sociology.

Social norms are rules of behavior. They inform group members how to

construe a given situation, how to feel about it, and how to behave in it. They exert
social influence on group members by prescribing which reactions are appropriate, and
which are not.

Social norms are the unwritten rules of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that are
considered acceptable in a particular social group or culture. Norms provide us with an
expected idea of how to behave, and function to provide order and predictability in
society.

There are four types of social norms that can help inform people about behavior
that is considered acceptable: folkways, mores, customs, and law. Examples of social
norms, falling in line at the counter.
What was social norms in criminology?
Norms refer to the expected behaviors, actions, and choices within a
specified space. Norms can change as the members of a space change.
 Additionally, norms differ from place to place. Criminology is the study of
criminality and law enforcement.

How do social norms influence human behavior?

Human beings need norms to guide and direct their behavior, to
provide order and predictability in social relationships and to make sense of
and understanding of each other's actions. These are some of the reasons
why most people, most of the time, conform to social norms BECAUSE
Norms provide order in society.
Social Norms Theory in Criminological Aspect
The Social Norms Theory assumes that our behavior is influenced by
misperceptions of how our peers think and act. Accordingly, the theory states that
correcting misperceptions of perceived norms will most likely result in a decrease in
the problem behavior or an increase in the desired behavior.
This theory aims to understand the environment and interpersonal influences
(such as peers) in order to change behavior, which can be more effective than a focus
on the individual to change behavior. Peer influence, and the role it plays in individual
decision-making around behaviors, is the primary focus of Social Norms Theory. Peer
influences and normative beliefs are especially important when addressing behaviors in
youth. Peer influences are affected more by perceived norms (what we view as typical
or standard in a group) rather than on the actual norm (the real beliefs and actions of
the group). The gap between perceived and actual is a misperception, and this forms
the foundation for the social norms approach.

Three Early Theories of Social Norms

1. Socialization – in these theory, individual action is intended as a choice among
alternatives, analysis of social systems starts with a theory of individual action,
he views social actors as behaving according to roles that define their identities
and actions through socialization and internalization. The goal of individual action
is to maximize satisfaction.
2. Social Identity - is that one’s identification with the group is in some sense a
conscious choice: one may accidentally belong to a group, but we can
meaningfully talk of social identification only when being a group-member
becomes constitutive of who one is.
3. Cost-Benefit Models – it is a rule-complying strategies rationally chosen in order
to avoid negative sanctions or to attract positive sanctions. This class of rational
choice models defines norms behaviorally, equating them with patterns of
behavior while disregarding expectations or values.

Two types of norms Relevant to a social norms approach

1. Injunctive norms reflect people's perceptions of what behaviors are approved
or disapproved by others.
2. Descriptive norms involve perceptions of which behaviors are typically
performed.