The

Positive School
of Criminology
 The classical school of
The positivist school of
criminology posited that
criminology emerged in the
individuals commit crimes
19th century as a contrasting
because of their selfish
idea to the classical theory
desires and that crime is a
of crime.
product of free will.
Positivism is a theory used within the
field of criminology to explain and
predict criminal behavior. more
about the positivist theory of crime
here.
 Positivism in criminology, on the other hand, links
crime to external or internal influences placed upon
individuals and attributes the reason people commit
crimes to these factors.
 This school of thought creates a
relationship between criminal
behavior and the psychological or
sociological traits of the offender.
For example, the positivist theory
will link a crime to the lack of
parental care rather than the
calculated decision of the offender.
 Historically

The positivist theory of crime has

been approached in two ways:
 Individual positivism
Individual positivism

Individual positivism links criminal behavior with psychological

factors in the offender. In this school of thought, criminologists
believe psychiatric or personality conditions present in an individual
are at the root of crime. Therefore, psychological could help mitigate
criminal behavior.
 Sociological positivism

Sociological positivism mainly focuses on how

certain social factors of an individual’s life can
lead to a higher propensity for crime. These
factors can include economic, political, familial,
and more. Criminologists who follow this school of
thought may be more likely to mitigate crime
through social reform.
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