THEORIES

OF CRIME
CAUSATION
 What is
Theory?
Formal statement of Ideas that are
suggested to explain a fact or event, or
how something works.

An integrated body of assumptions,

propositions, and definitions that explain
and predict relationships between two or
more variables.
Demonology
Theory
Earliest theory of crime causation that is grounded
on the belief that criminals were possessed by evil
spirit- a supernatural force beyond one’s control
which compel them to commit crimes.
School of Thought
1.Classical
School
Classical School views that crime as a product of free
will, hedonism, and rational choice. It anchors on the
argument that human beings are endowed with free
will and rationality, and that human actions are
results of the rational calculation of the costs and
benefits (rewards).
Proponents of
Classical School

A. Cesare Beccaria
An Italian scholar, philosopher, reformist
who widely recognized as the founder of the
classical school. He rose into fame after he
published his 17 pages essay entitled “On
Crimes and Punishments” in 1764.
B. Jeremy Bentham

Founder of Utilitarianism. He was credited

in the development of a Panopticon, a
circular structure placed at the center of
a circular glass roof. It serves as a central
tower where prison staffs can overall
supervise surrounding cells.
2. Neo-
Classical
School
From the “neo” which means new. It argued that
since children and lunatics are incapable of
calculating pain and pleasure, they should be treated
differently.
3. Positivist or
Italian School
Views crime as a product of the internal
and external factors which are beyond
one’s control. It implores science in
explaining the cause of crime and proposed
the idea of individualized treatment of
offenders. Criminal offenders should be
considered as part of and not apart the
society.
Proponents of
Positivist School

A. Cesare Lombroso
An army physician in Italy who is credited today as
the “Father of Criminology”. He studied prisoners’
anatomical disposition and correlated it with
criminal’s propensity to commit crime and published a
book entitled “Criminal Man”.
B. Enrico Ferri

A student of Cesare Lombroso. He argued

that crime is not only caused by
Anthropological or individual factors,
rather by sociological factors and even
environmental or geographical factors.

He coined the term Criminal Sociology.

C. Raffaele Garofalo

An Italian jurist, a politician,and a notable writer,

was also a student of Cesare Lombroso.
Argued that criminals are morally deficient and are
therefore be eliminated from the society either
through death penalty or other forms of
incapacitation.
Biological Theories of
Crime Causation
Biological Theories of
Crime Causation
Theory of Atavism
or Born Criminal

.Grounded on the belief that criminals are

identifiable through their physical
anomalies or stigmata. Lombroso asserted
that unlike law- abiders, criminals are
having the appearance of pre-human
forms- a premitive stage of evolution.
Characteristics of
an Atavistic Person
*Twisted or Flat nose
*Long arms in relation to their lower limbs
*Drooping eyes
*Large ears
*Protruding jaws
*Sloped foreheads
*Dark skin
*Small and Deformed Skulls
 Lombroso’s Classifications of
Criminals

1 Born Criminals- those with atavistic characteristics.

2. Insane Criminals- those having anatomical and biological
abnormalities. These include imbeciles, idiots, as well as alcoholics,
hysterics, and epileptics.
3. Criminals by passion- those who are triggered by emotional force such
as love, anger, hatred, jealousy and others.
 Lombroso’s Classifications of
Criminals

4. Occasional Criminals- those who commit crimes given the opportunity. This type of
criminals has innate characteristics to commit crime. Occasional criminals are composed
into four subtypes:
a. Criminaloids- those who are easily swayed or tempted to do evil.
b. Epileptoid-those who are suffering from epilepsy.

a
c. Habitual Criminals- those who live normally but later on developed an undesirable
habit which influence him to commit lifetime criminality.
d. Pseudocriminal- like criminaloids, pseudocriminals are normal persons. They only
commit crimes when the situation force them to do so.
 Lombroso’s Classifications of
Criminals

1 Born Criminals- those with atavistic characteristics.

2. Insane Criminals- those having anatomical and biological
abnormalities. These include imbeciles, idiots, as well as alcoholics,
hysterics, and epileptics.
3. Criminals by passion- those who are triggered by emotional force such
as love, anger, hatred, jealousy and others.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation

Physiognomy
• dubbed as “face reading”.
• the study of the person’s personality traits or character
based on facials appearance.
 Physiognomy Classification
*Men with big upper lips signified stupidity
*Flat nose like of the pig indicated stupidity
*Pointed nose like of a dog signified choleric
temperament.
*lion-like nose implied generosity.
*Persons with noses like the hawk or eagle were
magnanimous.
*Fine hair like of rabbit and sheep indicated timidity.
*Rough hair like of the lion or boar implied courage.
*Fat ears like the Ox implied laziness.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation

Phrenology/ Craniology
• the study of the person’s personality traits or character
based on skull formation.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation

Phrenology/ Craniology
• the study of the person’s personality traits or character
based on skull formation.
Biological Theories of Crime
Causation
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation

Kretschmer’s Body Physiques

• assumed that there is a link between the individual’s physical
makeup and his personality and that certain body builds
correspond to certain temperaments.
 Four types of Body Physique
• Asthenic- are those persons who are thin, with
narrow shoulders, flat chest, loose skin, and long
limbs. Asthenic are shy, timid, introvert, with serious
personality but with fondness in reading and
studying. To Kretschmer, asthenic is likely to commit
petty theft and fraud.
• Athletic- people under this category are muscular
and with strong development of the skeleton. the
personality of being aggressive is linked to this type.
Athletic people are prone to commit violence
compare to asthenic.
 Four types of Body Physique
3. Pyknic- are those that are fat with rounded bodies
with fleshy arms and legs. This category is more likely
to commit fraud and deception and sometimes
violence. On the temperament side, pyknic people are
into mood swings, who sometimes are happy, and at
other times are irritable and depressed.
4. Dysplastic type (mixed type)- people who have no
desired body physique belong to this category.
Kretschmer argued that individuals under this type
are prone to commit crimes against decency and
morality,
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation

Somatotypes
• popularized by William Sheldon, an American psychologist
who made his own version of body types which he termed
somatotypes.
 Somatotypes
• Ectomorph- this is similar to Kretschmer’s
asthenic body physique. Similarly, ectomorphs
are thin and slender.Sheldon associated this type
of cerebrotonoc temperament with characters of
being introvert, imsomniac, full of complaints,
sensitivity to noise and distractions , and self
conscious.
 Somatotypes
2. Endomorph- this is similar to Kretschmer’s pyknic
body physique. Endomorphs are those whose body is
fat, soft, and round. It is attributed to a viscerotonic
type of temperament-extroverted, jolly, relaxed,
lazy, comfortable, and sociable.

4. Mesomorph- the athletic type in Kretschme’s

classification. Mesomorphs are somotonic having the
characters of being active, aggressive, and dynamic.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation

Karotype Studies: The “Supermale”

• This theory associated aggressive behavior and crime to abnormality in
the chomosomal pattern of a person. The normal chromosome pair for
male is XY; female on the other hand an XX pattern.
• Some males have an XYY pattern and some females have XXX structure.
This theory suggests that addtional maleness brought by the extra “Y”
chromosome (which makes “supermales” provide higher inclination for
a person to commit heinous, violent crimes.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation
Family Studies
Juke Family Tree
• Spearheaded by Richard L. Dugdale , a sociologist and a prison reformer.
• Dugdale started his study on the five daughters of Max Juke, Ada, Belle,
Clara, Delia, and Effie.
• Ada Juke who is better known to the public as “ Margaret, the mother
of al criminals”.
• After tracing the family had out 709 descendants, 181 were prostitutes,
142 paupers and 106 illegitimate births.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation
Family Studies
Kalikak Family Tree By: Henry H. Goddard
• “kalikkak” from the Greek Word “ kallos” which means “beauty or
good” and “kakos” which “bad”
• Involved Martin Kalikak, a revolutionary war soldier. Martin had two
separate relationships which in turned represents the “good
offspring” and “bad offspring”
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation
Family Studies
Kalikak Family Tree By: Henry H. Goddard
• These relationships are the following:
• Quaker (member of a Christian group as Society of Friends)-girl who he married
and bore seven children . Upon tracing, descendants considered to be the “good
side” of the family tree.
• Feebleminded woman- resulted to an illegitimate son named Martin Kalikak Junior
who later rose into adulthood, married and fathered seven children. Goddard
upon tracing the “bad side” of the family tree found out descendants who
were prostitutes, thieves, brothel owners, alcoholics, and licentious individuals.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation
Family Studies
Jonathan Edwards Family Tree
• Was an exemplar of an ideal family structure. Jonathan who was married to Sara
I727, was a famous Puritan preacher and once a president in Princeton College.

• This family tree was traced by A.E. Winship

• None of the descendants was found to be criminal. Rather, many became judges,
physicians, college presidents, mayors, vice president, senators, professors, and
other vital positions in the in society.
 Biological Theories of Crime
Causation
Family Studies
Twin Study
• This study was centered on studying twin pairs, investigating their distinct and similar
behavioral patterns. The theoretical assumptions was, if genes are inherited, then twins
would likely exhibit the same set of behavior. With this, researchers groups twin into two:
• MZ- refers to identical twins
• DZ- refers to fraternal twins who are not identical, twins who share only half of their
genes.
• 52 percent similarity in behavioral patterns among MZ (identical twins) compared to DZ
(fraternal twins) which has 22 percent only.
Pioneered by Sigmund Freud

Views deviant or antisocial as a result of

underdeveloped or overdeveloped
superego.
Three Elements of Personality
1. Id- refers to the instincts, pleasure-seeking drives or impulse. This is present since
birth. Id is the unconscious state of the mind of a person.
2. Superego- refers to the conscience. It sets the moral standard in consonance with
the norms of the society. It is developed at the age of five.
3. Ego- refers to the self. Its functions is to balance or to mediate between the id and
superego in the context of reality.
Types of Personality Conflicts or Anxiety
1. Realistic Anxiety – this refers to the feeling of fear towards certain external object,
situation, or action, that the society generally regard as threat or dangerous to the
concerned person. It is when a person feels when a criminal points the muzzle of his
firearm towards him.
2. Moral Anxiety- this is a type of anxiety produced by the tensions between the ego and the
superego. In certain times, the id provokes the ego to resort in unacceptable behaviors
causing the superego to regulate the former.
3. Neurotic Anxiety- this is produced by the conflict between the id and the ego. This is felt
when the impulses of the id overwhelms the ego. Frustration displacement, losing your
temper, and drinking alcohol, are few examples of anxiety.
Ego Defense Mechanism

1. Repression- the most fundamental defense mechanism . It is referred to as ‘motivated

forgetting”.
2. Denial- this refers to the refusal on the person to accept the reality.
3. Projection- In this defense mechanism, the ego attempts to resolve the tension or
discomfort of the individual by attributing the undesirable thoughts, events, feelings, and
motives to another individual. It resembles with the act of blaming only that in literatures,
the former is the most widely used word.
Types of Personality Conflicts or Anxiety
4. Regression- a defense mechanism of the ego in which the person reverts or moves backward
in the earlier stages of development in order to cope with negative situations.
5. Isolation or Intellectualization- this refers to the ego defense mechanism which eliminates
the feeling or emotion associated with a threatening event, object, or person. The strategy is
to become emotionless to pursue normal psychological function.
Types of Personality Conflicts or Anxiety
6. Sublimation- this is the most mature defense mechanism which involves channeling the stress
or pain through socially accepted behavior.
7. Displacement- a defense mechanism which is the exact opposite of sublimation. In here the
person channel the pain in a socially unacceptable way.
8. Reaction Formation- this is often called “ believing the opposite”. A primitive version of
sublimation, this ego defense mechanism changes the anxiety-provoking or unacceptable
impulses into acceptable ones. However, unlike sublimation, reaction formation, reverses the
individual’s conscious experience making him aware of the opposite feeling.
Types of Personality Conflicts or Anxiety
9. Rationalization- a defense mechanism where the ego excuses an inappropriate behavior
though a gesture (often an explanation) that is more acceptable than the real and unconscious
motive.
10. Introjection- an ego defense mechanism where the individual imitates the characteristics
of another to gain acceptance
Types of Personality Conflicts or Anxiety
Fixation
-refers to either inadequate or excessive pleasure, or to the conflicts during the stages of
psychological development in which the target of the sexual energy remains attached to an
object associated with the lower level of maturity.
- It is the state of being confined or being stuck in a certain stage.
Reason for being ‘fixated” (stuck) in a Stage
- Inadequate fulfillment of the development needs in a certain stage which causes
frustration
- Excessive fulfillment of development needs which causes indulgence.
Types of Personality Conflicts or Anxiety
Fixation
-refers to either inadequate or excessive pleasure, or to the conflicts during the stages of
psychological development in which the target of the sexual energy remains attached to an
object associated with the lower level of maturity.
- It is the state of being confined or being stuck in a certain stage.
Reason for being ‘fixated” (stuck) in a Stage
- Inadequate fulfillment of the development needs in a certain stage which causes
frustration
- Excessive fulfillment of development needs which causes indulgence.
Stages of Psychosexual Development
1. Oral Stage (birth to 2 years) – In this stage of psychosexual development, the gratification
of the infant focuses on the mouth. Oral activities like eating, swallowing, biting and
sucking give pleasure.
2. Anal Stage ( 2 to 4 years)- in this stages, the focus of the gratification is on the anal region
which consists of control and the release of feces. The ability of the child to control and head
on parental instructions as to bowel movement is the key in determining the personality styles
of the infant when reaching adulthood.
3. Phallic Stage (4-5 years)- Sexual attraction to the parent of opposite sex occurs and that
parent of the same sex is considered as rival or competitor. Gender identity is learned by
identifying and mimicking the same sex parent.
Oedipus Complex- a term used to describe to a boy’s feeling of jealousy towards their father
and the feeling or desire towards their mother.
Castration Anxiety- a term used to describe a boy’s feeling of fear towards their father. In
here, the boy assumed that his father will take revenge and punish him by castrating him.
Electra Complex – a term used to describe girl’s desire of affection and love for dad.
However, unlike boys, Freud (1905) argued that girls are unable to experience castration
anxiety.
In this stage, girls experienced what Freud called “penis envy”. Sigmund Freud believed that
children do not recognize the external anatomical difference between males and females prior
to the phallic phase.
Types of Personality Conflicts or Anxiety
4. Latent (latency) Stage (6 years to puberty)-takes place when children are at the ages of six
to twelve years.
the child realizes that desires and affections directed to the parent of opposite sex (boy child
to the mother, girl child to the father) are not feasible.
Shifts his focus towards social skills such as recreation and sports and becomes occupied with
socializing with the same-sex peers, refining roles, etc.
5.Genital Stage (puberty and up)- commences when the child enters the period of puberty – a
stage where the little girl or boy transitioned into adolescence becoming into a sexually
matured and a reproductive ready individual.
-an increase of sex hormones resulting to an increase of sexual desire with the opposite sex.
Thank
you