Uncovering the Social Roots of Criminal Behavior: Theories Explored

Abstract

Theories of Crime Causation In chapter four and five on crime theories, most sociological theories of crime causation hypothesises that a social environment determines an individual’s criminal behaviour. Based on these theories, an individual does not just become a crime by free will or rational choice. Neither do crime perpetrators commit crime because they were born crime or abnormal. On the contrary, social environment shapes an individual crime being implying that enforcing controls to such triggers can enhance change to such crime offenders. Social learning theory assumes that people engage in crime because they learn to involve in crime through friends and others. Based on this theory, social networks are a major component of social structure that defines a criminal behaviour. The evolutionary view of crime based on this theory is that individuals engage in crime due to their associations with criminal friends reinforcing their criminal behaviour as they learn beliefs that remain favourable to crime. On the other hand, strain theory assumes that individuals engage in crime due to exposures to stressful environments. Such experiences of stress or strain make such victims feel upset and embrace negativities around them. To this effect, they engage in crime to reduce their experiences of stressful strains. The evolutionary view of crime based on this theory is that certain stressors increases the likelihood of crime leading to negative emotions such as anger and frustrations creating pressure for corrective action with crime being the most viable option