Biological Theories

Biological
Theories
Early biological theories claim that
criminal behavior is a result of biological
or genetic defect in the individual.
In other words, criminals behave
differently because, structurally, they are
different.
The Positivists shared a hope that
criminal behavior could be controlled if
at first could be understood.
The Biological School
•A view of crime, also referred to as biological
positivism, claims that criminal behavior is the result of
biological or inborn defects or abnormalities.
•This view directly conflicts with classical criminology,
which claims that criminal activity is the result of free
will.
•Under a biological perspective, deterrence is of little
value. –REFORMATION AND REHABILITATION
Notable Individuals
•Lombroso, Cesare: (1836-1909) First to use scientific method in criminology, wrote
The Criminal Man (1876).
•Eysenck, Hans J.: Proposed the biosocial “arousal” theory.
•Ferrero, William: Co-authored Female Offender (1958 [1897]) with Lombroso.
•Goring, Charles: (1870-1919) British criminologist, proposed the idea that
criminals are shorter, weigh less, and “mentally defective,” wrote The English
Convic: A Statistical Study (1913).
•Hooton, E.A.: (1887-1954) Anthropologist and neo-Lombrosian, proposed the idea
that crime is caused by physical inferiority, wrote Crime and the Man (1939).
•Mednick, Sarnoff: Developed the best-known and most systematically stated and
tested modern biosocial theory.
Phrenology or
Craniology
By Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) and Johann Caspar Spurzheim
(1776-1832)
This is the study of external formation of the skull that indicates
the conformation of the brain and the development of its various
parts in relation to the behavior of the criminal.
Phrenology is the study of the shape of the head through the
examination and measurement of the bumps on an individual's
skull.
Phrenology, from the Greek words phren, meaning
“mind,” and logos, meaning “knowledge,” is based on
the belief that human behavior originated in the brain.
Phrenology, also referred to as crainology, is a theory
of human behavior based upon the belief that an
individual's character and mental faculties correlate
with the shape of their head.
Franz Joseph Gall
(1758–1828)

German neuroanatomist and physiologist who

pioneered study of the human brain as the source of
mental faculties
Developed the practice of cranioscopy, a technique
by which to infer behaviors and characteristics from
external examination of the skull (cranium).
According to Gall, a person’s strengths, weaknesses,
morals, proclivities, character, and personality could
be determined by physical characteristics of his or
her skull.
Johann
Spurzheim
(1776–1832)

German physician and student of Gall’s,

actually coined the term phrenology to
replace cranioscopy.
Spurzheim also expanded the map of the
brain organs, developed a hierarchical system
of the organs, and created a model
“phrenology bust” that depicted the location
of the brain organs.
 Physiognomy
By Johann Kaspar Lavater
This is the study of the relationship between the facial features
and human conduct of a person in relation to his crime.
Lombroso and Lavater stated that the way to discover the
character of person is by:
◦ Observation of his physical appearance
◦ Measurement of the outward appearance
Criminal Anthropology
•Is the study of “criminal” human beings (theory of the “born criminal”)
which stated that Crime is caused by biological inferiority which is
indicated by the physical characteristics associated with criminality.
•Atavism. Part of the theory developed by Lombroso in which a person is
a “born criminal.” Atavistic or primitive man is a throwback to an earlier
stage of human evolution, and will commit crimes against society unless
specifically restrained from doing so.
•Stigmata. Characteristics claimed by Lombroso that could be used to
identify the “born criminal.” They include things such as extra fingers or
toes, large lips, receding chins, excessive skin wrinkles, and large ears
monkey-like.
Lombrosian Theory- this was developed by Dr. Cesare Lombroso, a prison
doctor in Turin, Italy. His job was to examine hundreds of criminals. This
theory holds the following assumptions:
◦ Criminals have many stigmata (distinctive physical features) such as symmetrical faces,
enormous jaws, large protruding ears and receding chins.
◦ Criminals are atavistic beings who look
differently and think differently. Having
the mentality of primitive people, they
are incapable of living in the modern
society.
◦ Criminals are classified as epileptic,
insane and inborn.
◦ Atavistic Stigmata or Atavistic
Anomalies- Physical traits which are
not different from apes.
◦ Born Criminal- have at least 5 Atavistic
Stigmata/ Atavistic Anomalies
Physical Atavistic Stigmata
includes:
◦ large jaws, forward projection of
jaw,
◦ low sloping forehead,
◦ high cheekbones,
◦ flattened or upturned nose,
◦ handle-shaped ears,
◦ hawk-like noses or fleshy lips,
◦ hard shifty eyes,
◦ scanty beard or baldness,
◦ insensitivity to pain,
◦ long arms relative to lower limbs.
According to Lombroso, there are 3 classes of criminals:
◦ Born Criminals- individuals who have at least five (5)
atavistic stigmata/ atavistic anomalies
◦ Insane Criminals- those who are not criminals by birth;
they become criminals as a result of some changes in their
brains which interfere with their ability to distinguish
between right and wrong.
◦ Criminoloids- those with make-up of an ambiguous group
that includes habitual criminals, criminals by passion and
other diverse types (lack of stamina and self control)
Physiology or Somatotype- Ernst Kretschmer was
the founder of this study, which states that
criminality is based on body built.
◦ Athletic- Strong muscular and
coarse bone (violence)
◦ Pyknic- massive neck, broad face, Ernst Kretschmer
rounded face and medium height (1888-1964)
(deception and violence)
◦ Asthenic- lean, slightly built,
narrow shoulder (petty thievery
and fraud)
 Somatotyping Theory/William Sheldon’s Theory
His key ideas are concentrated on the principle of “Survival of the
Fittest” as a behavioral science. He combines the biological and
psychological explanation to understand deviant behavior.
Sheldon’s “Somatotyping Theory” maintains the belief of
inheritance as the primary determinants of behavior and the
physique is a reliable indicator of personality.
William Sheldon
(1898-1977)
In Somatotyping, people are classified in three
ways:
◦ Endomorphs- people who tend to be fat, round and soft, and to
have short arms and legs. They have low specific gravity. Persons
with typically relaxed and comfortable disposition.
◦ Mesomorphs- people who have athletic and muscular physique;
with active, assertive and aggressive personality. They are the
people who are routinely active and aggressive, and they are the
most likely to commit crimes.
◦ Ectomorphs- people who are basically skinny with lean and
fragile bodies. They tend to look more fatigue and withdrawn.
General Inferiority Theory/ Hooton’s Theory- this was proposed by
Earnest Hooton. This theory has the following assumptions:
◦ Crime is the result of the impact of environment
upon low grade human or organism and that
criminals were originally inferior people.
◦ Crimes exist because there are some inferior
people who are responsible for them.
◦ Men with mediocre built are people who tend
to break the law without preference because
crimes are like physical make-up, characterless.
◦ Physical inferiority is significant, principally because it is associated with mental inferiority.
◦ He suggested that human somatotype (body shape and physique) can even determine which type of crime a
person will commit:
◦ Tall-slender men are predisposed for murder and robbery
◦ Tall-medium heavy men besides killing, also for forgery
◦ Short-heavy men for sex offenses
◦ Criminals should be permanently exiled to self-governing reservations isolated from the society, sterilized to
prevent future off springs.
Genetic Theory- This theory assures that:
◦ Crime and delinquency is committed by people who have abnormal genetic structure or
chromosomal abnormalities.
◦ DNA is the transmitter of genetic material (genes)
◦ Extra Y chromosome is responsible for aggressiveness and thus, criminal activity. Men with an
extra Y chromosome are taller and have 10 to 20 percent greater tendency to break the law
than genetically normal XY males.
XYY Syndrome- born criminal syndrome
Biosocial Theory
(Biosocial Trait Theory)
•Theories that examine the combined effects of biology,
behavior, and the environment on criminal behavior.
•Believe that physical, environmental and social
conditions work in concert to produce human behavior.
•The biosocial view is that behavior is a product of
interacting biological and environmental events
Biosocial Arousal Theory
•This theory states that an individual’s level of
arousal works in conjunction with the social
environment.
•Those with low levels of arousal are less likely
to learn appropriate ways to deal with
aggression and violence and thus are more
prone to commit crime.
Evolutionary Theory

A broad-based view that certain types of

criminal behavior are genetic and passed
down from one generation to the next
through evolutionary processes of natural
selection and survival.
HEREDITY
HEREDITY- the passing on of physical or
mental characteristics genetically from
one generation to another.
Heredity as a Factor in Criminality and
Delinquency:
◦ Richard Dugdale (Juke Family)- studied
the family of Margaret “Ada” Juke, the
Mother of Criminals.
◦ 64 Mentally Diseased
◦ 174 Sex perverts
◦ 196 Illegitimate
◦ 142 Paupers
 Richard Dugdale
◦ The Jukes: A Study in Crime, Pauperism, Disease and Heredity in
1877. Dugdale debated the relative contribution of environment
and heredity and concluded that the family's poor environment
was largely to blame for their behavior: "environment tends to
produce habits which may become hereditary".
◦ He noted that the Jukes were not a single family, but a
composite of 42 families and that only 540 of his 709 subjects
were apparently related by blood.
Sir Jonathan Edwards Family Tree
(R. Dugdale)
•Sir Jonathan Edwards was a famous preacher
during the colonial period. When his family tree
was traced, none of the descendants was found
to be criminal.
•Became President of Princeton University.
From Edwards Family:
 Practically no lawbreakers
 More than 100 lawyers, 30 judges
 13 college presidents and hundred and more professors
 60 physicians
 100 clergymen, missionaries, and theological professors
 80 elected to public office, including 3 mayors, 3 governors,
several members of congress, 3 senators, and 1 vice president
 60 have attained prominence in authorship or editorial life, with
135 books of merit
 75 army or navy officers
Henry Goddard- studied the Kallikak Family
◦ Greek words καλός (kallos) meaning “beautiful” and κακός
(kakos) meaning “bad.”
◦ The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-
Mindedness was a 1912 book by the American psychologist and
eugenicist Henry H. Goddard.
◦ Inheritance of "feeble-mindedness," a general category
referring to a variety of mental disabilities including mental
retardation, learning disabilities, and mental illness.
◦ The book follows the genealogy of Martin Kallikak, , a
Revolutionary War hero married to a Quaker woman.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
THEORIES
The Psychological Theories
One of the main explanations to crimes and criminalities is based on
psychological theories, which focus on the association among intelligence,
personality, learning, and criminal behavior.
Focuses on the differences between criminals and noncriminals. Psychological
explanations all assume that criminal behavior results from underlying
psychological problems.
Psychological theories say that criminal behavior is a result of individual
differences in thinking processes.
There are many different psychological theories, but they all believe that it is
the person's thoughts and feelings that dictate their actions. As such,
problems in thinking can lead to criminal behavior.
Psychological theories- claim that criminal
behavior is a result of individual
differences in thinking processes.
psychological theories, focus on the association among intelligence,
personality, learning, and criminal behavior.
Focuses on the differences between criminals and noncriminals and
assume that criminal behavior results from underlying psychological
problems.
There are many different psychological theories, but they all believe that it
is the person's thoughts and feelings that dictate their actions. As such,
problems in thinking can lead to criminal behavior.
Four Basic Ideas about
Psychological Theories

1. Failures in psychological development

2. Learned behaviors of aggression and
violence
3. Inherent personality traits
4. Relationship of criminality to mental
illness
The Psychological Theories
When examining psychological theories of crime,
one must be cognizant of the four major theories.
1. Psychodynamic Theory
2. Behavioral Theory
3. Cognitive Theory
4. Personality and Intelligence Theory
PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY
Proponents of Psychodynamic Theory suggest that an
individual’s personality is controlled by unconscious mental
processes that are grounded in early childhood.
This theory was introduced by Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), the
founder of psychoanalysis.
Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory- Freud believe that people
develop in a series of stages. When abnormalities occur, the
person is more likely to experience conflict. Conflict stems from
the person’s basic drive (ID) and social controls.
 The Three Parts of
the Human Psyche
(Personality):
◦ ID- the primitive part of a person’s mental makeup that
is present at birth. It is the unconscious portion of
personality dominated by the drive (cravings) from
pleasure and by inborn sexual and aggressive impulses.
◦ If left unchecked, it may destroy the person.
◦ Ego- this is the rational part of the personality; it grows
from the ID. It is thought to develop early in a person’s
life.
◦ It represents problem solving dimensions of personality.
◦ Super Ego- it grows out of ego. It represents the moral
code, norms and values the individual has acquired. It
develops as a person incorporates the moral standards
and values of the community; parents; and significant
others, such as friends and clergy members.
◦ Hence, it is responsible for feelings of guilt and shame.
ID- pleasure principle (drives)
Ego- reality principle
Super Ego- Morality principle
Research suggests that having a weak ego is linked with poor or
absence of social etiquette, immaturity, and dependence on
others.
Research further suggests that individuals with weak egos may be
more likely to engage in drug abuse.
BEHAVIORAL THEORY

By Albert Bandura (1977)

Behaviorism (also called behavioral psychology) refers to a psychological approach which emphasizes
scientific and objective methods of investigation.
Behaviorism is a learning theory that studies observable and measurable behavioral changes, which
result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner.
This theory stems from the work of Pavlov who studied animal behavior, and was able to condition a
dog to associate the ringing of a bell with food. Pavlovian conditioning is known as classical
conditioning.
 Developed through
learning experiences
Sources
of
Behavio The environmental
experiences
ral
Problem
s The mass media.

JBDAVID
COGNITIVE THEORY
By Jean Piaget (1932)
◦ A Swiss psychologist who created and studied an account of how
children and youth gradually become able to think logically and
scientifically.
Cognition refers to thinking and memory processes, and cognitive development refers to long-term
changes in these processes.
Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much like little
scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world.
As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon existing
knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information.
Cognitive theory- Cognitive
theorists attempt to understand how criminal
offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them.
Studies have consistently found that people who obey the law simply to
avoid punishment (i.e., out of self-interest) are more likely to commit
acts of violence than are people who recognize and sympathize with the
fundamental rights of others.
 Stages of Reasoning
(Kohlberg, 1969)
Kohlberg (1969) applied the concept of moral development to the study of criminal
behaviour. He argued that all people travel through six different stages of moral
development:
 STAGE 1 is concerned about obedience and punishment.
 STAGE 2 is characterized by individualism, instrumentalism,
and exchange.
 STAGE 3 is when the individual recognizes that he or she is
now a member of society.
 STAGE 4 when the premise is based on law and order.
 STAGE 5 is referred to as the social contract.
 STAGE 6 is often termed principled conscience.
PERSONALITY THEORY

Personality can be defined as something that makes us what we

are and also that which makes us different from others.
The term ‘personality’ is generally used to refer to relatively
stable characteristics of a person that make their behaviour
consistent across situations (but many other definitions are
possible, depending on the approach being taken).
Hans Eysenck (1964) put forward a theory of criminal behaviour
based on a very influential theory of personality he had earlier
devised and which he continued to develop throughout his
career.
Eysenck believed personality is largely
governed by biology, and he viewed
people as having specific personality
dimensions:
◦ Extroversion vs.
Introversion
P E N
◦ Neuroticism vs. Stability

◦ Psychoticism vs.
Socialization (in
collaboration with his wife,
Sybil Eysenck)
A number of early criminologists argued that certain personality types are
more prone to criminal behavior.
◦ The Gluecks (Glueck and Glueck, 1950), for example, identified a number
of personality traits that they felt were associated with violence,
including self-assertiveness, defiance, extroversion, narcissism and
suspicion.
More recently, researchers have linked violent behaviors to traits such as
hostility, egoism, self-centeredness, spitefulness, jealousy, and indifference
to or lack of empathy for others.
◦ Criminals have also been found to lack ambition and perseverance, to
have difficulty controlling their tempers and other impulses, and to be
more likely than conventional people are to hold unconventional beliefs
(see Atkins, 2007; Capara et al., 2007; Costello and Dunaway 2003;
Johnson et al., 2000; Sutherland and Shepard, 2002; Miller and Lynam,
2001).
A final causal explanation links IQ to crime through school
performance. Less intelligent students do less well in school, which
results in academic frustration.
This frustration, in turn, weakens their attachment and commitment
to schooling, and a weakened bond to school, as per social control
theory, allows for more criminal behavior (Hirschi and Hindelang).
The
Structural/Sociologic
al Theories of Crime
CU8 | MIDTERM
The Sociological or
Structural
Perspectives/Theories

Sociological theories explore relationships

among groups and institutions and envision
crime as the result of social processes, as
the natural consequence of aspects of
social structure, or as the result of
economic and class struggle.
It emphasize poverty, lack of education,
absence of marketable skills, and
subcultural values as fundamental causes of
crime.
Concentric Zone Theory
Robert E. Park (1864-1944) and Ernest W. Burgess (1886-1966) examined the characteristics of
each area as a foundation for social problems including poverty and unemployment.
◦ The city was viewed as a compilation of concentric zones extending
from a central business district out to a commuter zone located on
the very fringe (Park, Burgess, & McKenzie, 1925).
This model was based on the city of Chicago and used a concentric ring to show how urban land
was used. The theory was named the concentric zone model, or CZM.
Much like a bulls-eye, the model has what Burgess called the central business district, or CBD,
located in the middle and showed the rings surrounding the center as expansion.
The Concentric Zones
Commuters Zone (Zone V) - being inhabited by those that could afford the more expensive “bungalows”
common to this zone as well as transportation to the inner city for entertainment and work.
Residential Zone (Zone IV) - was described to be inhabited by well-educated, middle class families.
Working Class Zone (Zone III) - generally inhabited by those that can afford to move beyond the inner-
most city limits, second generations of immigrant families (Lersch, 2011).
◦ Close enough to the inner zones as workers can reach workplaces by foot
Zone in Transition (Zone II) - “the least desirable area to live in the city”
◦ This area can be described as the melting pot of poor, immigrant,
destitute, and criminal.
The Loop (Zone I) - is a business and commerce heavy area that is commuted to by inhabitants of the
other four zones.
 Social Structure
Theory

Sociological theories explore relationships among

groups and institutions and envision crime as the
result of social processes, as the natural
consequence of aspects of social structure, or as the
result of economic and class struggle.
Social structure theories emphasize poverty, lack of
education, absence of marketable skills, and
subcultural values as fundamental causes of crime.
Three subtypes of social structure theories can be identified:
◦ Social Disorganization theory
◦ Strain theory, and
◦ Culture Conflict theory
Because theories of social structure look to the organization of society for their explanatory power,
intervention strategies based on them typically seek to alleviate the social conditions that are thought to
produce crime.
Social programs based on social structure assumptions frequently seek to enhance socially acceptable
opportunities for success and to increase the availability of meaningful employment.
 Social Disorganization Theory
The foundations of Social Disorganization Theory stem out
of the work of two Chicago sociologists, Clifford R. Shaw
and Henry D. McKay.
Shaw and McKay sought to link life in disorganized,
transitional urban areas to neighborhood crime rates.
Their pioneering efforts began during the early 1920s
while working as researchers for a state-supported social
service agency.
They were heavily influenced by Chicago School
sociologists Ernest Burgess and Robert Park, who had
conducted an ecological analysis of life in Chicago.
This theory “argues that crime occurs when the mechanisms of social control are weakened”.
◦ It is argued that gangs will arise spontaneously in social contexts
that are weakly controlled.
Some criminologists think that the concept of social disorganization just reflects middle-class
failure to comprehend organization different from their own.
Social disorganization theory pioneered by Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay suggested that
disorganized communities characterized by poverty, population heterogeneity, and residential
mobility weakened the effectiveness of social controls
Shaw and McKay (1942) also noted that, aside from the lack of behavioural regulation, socially
disorganized neighbourhoods tended to produce “criminal traditions” that could be passed to
successive generations of youths.
This system of pro-delinquency attitudes could be easily learned by youths through their daily
contact with older juveniles.
Thus, a neighbourhood characterized by social disorganization provides fertile soil for crime and
delinquency in two ways:
◦ Through a lack of behavioural control mechanisms and
◦ Through the cultural transmission of delinquent values.
Strain Theory
Strain theory is a sociology and criminology theory
developed in 1957 by Robert K. Merton.
The theory states that society puts pressure on
individuals to achieve socially accepted goals though
they lack the means, this leads to strain which may
lead the individuals to commit crimes. Examples include
selling drugs or becoming involved in prostitution to
gain financial security.
It maintains that the failure of man to achieve a higher
status of life caused them to commit crimes in order for
that status/goal to be attained. He argued that crime is
a means to achieve goals and the social structure is the
root of the crime problem.
Merton’s explanation to criminal behavior assumes that
people are law abiding but when under great pressure
will result to crime.
Strain may either be Structural and Individual Strain.
◦ Structural Strain refers to the processes at the societal level
which filters down and affects how the individual perceives his
or her needs.
◦ I.e. if particular social structures are inherently inadequate or there is
inadequate regulation, this may change the individual's perceptions as
to means and opportunities.
◦ Individual Strain refers to the frictions and pains experienced
by an individual as he or she looks for ways to satisfy his or her
needs.
◦ I.e. if the goals of a society become significant to an individual,
actually achieving them may become more important than the means
adopted.
The General Strain
Theory
A micro-level social psychological revision of Robert
Agnew’s strain theory. According to this theory,
criminal and deviant acts are one possible adaptation
to stress.
Agnew’s (1985 and 1992) general strain theory posits
that strain leads to negative emotions, which may lead
to a number of outcomes, including delinquency.
The three major types of deviance-producing strain
are:
◦ Failure to achieve positively valued goals (e.g., money or status)
◦ Removal of positively valued stimuli (e.g., loss of a valued possession)
◦ Presentation of negatively valued stimuli(e.g., physical abuse)
Deviance is most likely to occur when the response of the individual to any of these stressors is:
◦ Anger - when they see adversity as imposed by others
◦ Resentment (hatred) - when they perceive unjust treatment by others, and
◦ Depression or Anxiety - when they blame themselves for the stressful
consequence.
Anger has been identified as playing the key role in mediating the effect of strain on delinquency and
violence. This is the case because anger “increases the individual’s level of felt injury, creates a desire for
retaliation/revenge, energizes the individual for action, and lowers inhibitions” (Agnew, 1992: 60)
Factors such as peer associations, beliefs, attributions of causes, self control, and self-efficacy will affect
each individual’s reaction to stress.
 Four theories that are commonly classified as “strain
theories”:
◦ Anomie theory (Merton, 1938)
Four ◦ Institutional Anomie theory (Messner
Theories and Rosenfeld, 1994)
Classified ◦ General Strain theory (Agnew, 1985 and
1992), and
as Strain ◦ Relative Deprivation theory (Crosby,
Theories 1976; Davis, 1959; Gurr, 1970; Runciman,
1966).
The Anomie Theory
Anomie, in contemporary English, means a
condition or malaise in individuals,
characterized by an absence or diminution
of standards or values. When applied to a
government or society, anomie implies a
social unrest, similar to the use of the word
anarchy.
A state of normlessness or norm confusion
within a society (David Emile Durkheim).
The word comes from Greek, namely the
prefix a- “without”, and nomos “law”-
literally, “without law”.
Also known as Means – Ends Theory in the
1940’s (Merton)
 This theory focused on the sociological point of the positivist school which explains
that the absence of norms in a society provides a setting conducive to crimes and
other anti-social acts.
According to (Durkheim), the explanation of human conduct lies not in the individual
but in the group and the social organization.
◦ He also maintained that crime is an “important ingredient of all healthy societies because
crime make people more aware of their common interest and help to define appropriate,
moral, or lawful behavior.”

Durkheim proposed the following principles:

◦ Crime is a natural thing in the society,
◦ The concept of wrong is necessary to give meaning to right,
◦ Crime help society for changes – it means that a society to be
flexible to permit positive deviation must permit negative
deviations as well.
Institutional Anomie Theory
This theory was created by Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld.
The premise of the theory is that American society is set up in such a way so as to give
prestige and priority to economic institutions. This means that the accumulation of wealth
and individual success are people’s highest priorities.
Prioritizing economic institutions weakens the ability of other social institutions (family,
education, government) to control crime that occurs in response to the lack of access to or
failure in the economic sphere.
Therefore, a high level of criminal activity is a natural result of the setup of American
society.
Relative
Deprivation Theory
Relative deprivation theories focus on the recognition of one’s
inequality and subsequent feelings of resentment and
frustration.
While individuals may feel relatively deprived of a number of
things (e.g., status, political power, etc.), feelings of relative
deprivation due to economic comparisons can be an important
motivator of crime.
Relative deprivation is the belief that a person will feel deprived
or entitled to something based on the comparison to someone
else.
Cultural Deviance
Theory
This theory combines elements of both Strain and Social
Disorganization Theory to explain how people living in slum
neighborhoods react to isolation from the rest of society and
economic deprivation.
Researchers Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay (1942) studied
crime patterns in Chicago in the early 1900s at suggests that
conformity to the prevailing cultural norms of lower-class society
causes crime.
They found that violence and crime were at their worst in the
middle of the city and gradually decreased the farther someone
traveled from the urban center toward the suburbs.
New immigrants, many of them poor and lacking
knowledge of the English language, lived in
neighborhoods inside the city. As the urban
population expanded, wealthier people moved to the
suburbs and left behind the less privileged.
Shaw and McKay concluded that socioeconomic status
correlated to race and ethnicity resulted in a higher
crime rate.
The mix of cultures and values created a smaller
society with different ideas of deviance, and those
values and ideas were transferred from generation to
generation.