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Search results for: “environmental and social theories of crime”

  • Crime Genetic Factors

    Biological Theories of Crime: Genetic FactorsIntroduction to Crime Genetic FactorsThe evidence for an association between genetic makeup and criminality comes from empirical studies of identical twins (who have the same genetic makeup) and adopted children (who are genetically diss…

  • List of Entries and Authors of the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution

    List of Articles and Contributors of the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution Main Entry: the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. List of Authors by Entry (A-Z): ADEQUATE STATE GROUNDS Kenneth L. Karst ADKINS V. CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Leonard W. Levy ADLER V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CITY OF NEW YORK Martin Shapiro ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES Joseph Vining…

  • Social Hierarchy

    Social Hierarchy Social Hierarchy Definition Social Hierarchy may be defined as a network of relationships establishing powers and duties of different members of society. Meanings For information on: * rigid social hierarchy under Hinduism, see Caste; Brahman (class) and Hinduism * survival of the fittest as the principle of social organization, see Social Darwinism *…

  • History of Social Darwinism

    History of Social Darwinism Origins Social Darwinism originated in Britain during the second half of the 19th century. Darwin did not address human evolution in his most famous study, On the Origin of Species (1859), which focused on the evolution of plants and animals. He applied his theories of natural selection specifically to people in…

  • Social Darwinism

    Social Darwinism Social Darwinism Definition Social Darwinism, term coined in the late 19th century to describe the idea that humans, like animals and plants, compete in a struggle for existence in which natural selection results in “survival of the fittest.” Introduction Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British naturalist Charles…

  • Theories of Criminal Opportunity

    Theories of Criminal Opportunity In the mid-1970s American sociologists Marcus Felson, Lawrence Cohen, and others changed the focus of criminological theory from explaining criminal motivation to explaining the occurrence of criminal events. They argued that criminal motivation alone was not sufficient to cause crime. In addition to motivation, the offender requires the opportunity to pursue…

  • Psychological Theories of Crime

    Psychological Theories of Crime Background To account for criminal motivation in people, criminologists have used various psychological theories that attempt to explain human intellectual and emotional development. These theories can be divided into three categories: (1) moral development theories, (2) social learning theories, and (3) personality theories. Moral development theories describe a sequence of developmental…

  • Biological Theories of Crime

    Biological Theories of Crime Background The idea that crime is caused by biological defects or deficiencies in the offender was not new when advanced by Lombroso, but it received its most emphatic statement in the work of the Italian school. The most influential attack on Lombroso’s work was conducted by British criminologist Charles Buckman Goring,…

  • Criminology

    Introduction to Criminology According to Encarta, "Criminology, the scientific study of criminals and criminal behavior. Criminologists attempt to build theories that explain why crimes occur and test those theories by observing behavior. Criminological theories help shape society's […]

  • Modern Criminology

    Development of Criminology: Modern CriminologyIntroduction to Modern CriminologyAt the beginning of the 19th century, scholars began to apply the concepts and technologies of the rapidly developing biological and behavioral sciences to the study of crime. For the first time crimino…

  • Neurological Abnormalities

    Biological Theories of Crime: Neurological AbnormalitiesIntroduction to Neurological AbnormalitiesThe second major type of biological theory of criminality emphasizes the role of neurological factors. Studies in this area focus on abnormalities in brain functioning that reduce inhi…

  • Independent Criminology

    Development of Criminology: Independent CriminologyIntroduction to Independent CriminologyIn the late 1960s and early 1970s criminology began to emerge from the more established social sciences and became a discipline in its own right. The number of instructional programs in crimin…

  • Criminal Opportunity

    Criminology: Theories of Criminal OpportunityIntroduction to Criminal OpportunityIn the mid-1970s American sociologists Marcus Felson, Lawrence Cohen, and others changed the focus of criminological theory from explaining criminal motivation to explaining the occurrence of criminal …

  • Criminology Development

    Development of CriminologyIntroduction to Criminology DevelopmentThe discipline of criminology has evolved in three phases, beginning in the 18th century. Although crime and criminals have been around for as long as societies have existed, the systematic study of these phenomena di…

  • Criminology Goals

    The Goals of CriminologyIntroduction to Criminology GoalsThe classical criminologists of the 18th century were primarily concerned with ending brutality and inequality against criminals by enforcing limitations on government power. They believed that criminal behavior was the produ…