Criminological theories focus on explaining the causes of crime. They help us explain or understand things like why some people commit crimes or more crimes than others, why some people quit, and others continue, and what the expected effect of good families, harsh punishment, or other factors might be on crime. For instance, the rational choice theory assumes that the choice to commit a crime arises out of a logical judgment of cost versus reward. In contrast, biological theories state that people are “born criminals” who cannot be deterred from committing crimes. Social learning theory proposes that we engage in either criminal or noncriminal behavior based on the social environment around us and that we’re especially influenced by how other people reward or model behavior.
Many theories have emerged over the years, and they continue to be explored, individually and in combination, as criminologists seek the best solutions in ultimately reducing types and levels of crime. Each theory has its own strengths and weaknesses and may only be applicable to certain types of crime, and not others. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ theory.
Please respond to the following questions based on the knowledge you have learned throughout the course. If you have a specific explanation/theory in mind, feel free to expand your response!
1. How do we judge the criminological theories against each other?
2. What makes one theory better than another?
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