Essays on Criminological Theories

INTRODUCTION

Throughout human history there has always been crime, from the most petty of crimes to the most heinous of criminal injury, abuses and murder. The most gruesome of crimes are those involving murder, whether premeditated or “heat of the moment,” which carry heavy criminal consequences. These cases are tragic, but no murders are more disturbing and shocking than those committed by serial murderers. These are killers who torture, dismember and murder victims in very specific and very ugly ways that are an extension of the killer’s needs. There have been many serial killers who have become famous for ...

In any society, there exists an interaction between people of different backgrounds and characters. Hence, it calls for legal checks to ensure a good relationship within the occupants of the region. The wrongdoers in any society are monitored and punished by the law enforcers in that particular locality. While investigating any crime committed, the law enforcers use a stipulated procedure and apply various criminology theories to understand the offense adequately for proper evaluation. In this article, criminological theories will be assessed, and there is a review of their application in crime analysis procedure. Through criminology, criminals, and their behavior ...

The latest criminological theories are considered critical because, first, they introduce a new paradigm in the interpretation of reasons why people commit crime. Secondly, these latest criminological theories introduce new perspectives of looking at criminal behavior in a total departure from the traditional criminological theories. Further, these criminological theories represent post-modernism, that is, reflect modern scientific or technological knowledge of crime and criminal behavior. Lastly, these theories are considered critical because they represent a new era of studying crime in light of new developments in the society (Lanier, Henry & Anastasia 106). Postmodernism is a recent movement in criminology studies ...

Why did Sutherland play such a prominent role in discovering “white-collar crime” in the sense of defining it and making it an object of criminological study? Sutherland’s interest in “white-collar crime” was stirred by the realization that most conventional criminological theories were focused and applicable only to crimes usually perpetrated by the lower-class. He believed that his own theory of differential association was both applicable to lower-class and upper-class individuals. His interest was even more reinforced when the stock market crashed in 1929. With the country and many of the people suffering from economic depression, Sutherland became more ...

Comparison and Contrast: Social Control and Social Learning Theories

Introduction People often think that what motivates criminals to commit crimes is brought about by a need to steal money from others, a mental or drug problem that leads to perpetration of rape or heinous crimes, or even masked fear and anger. Some commit crimes due to repeated exposure to situations that support a negative behavior. Some do it due to inferiority complex in childhood, thus, they strive for superiority in adulthood. There are various other reasons for committing crimes and these can be explained by criminological theories. For the purpose of the presentation, the criminological theories that will be the ...