Criminology is the science that makes it possible to investigate, analyze, make conclusions, and, finally, prevent crime. A crime is the constituent part of human existence. The crimes, more terrible or less abusive are well-known since the creation of the world due to the Bibles interpretation of existence. And since that time on humanity is coming closer to the problem of crime; its roots, its premises, its components, and the criminals.
Criminology’s subject of inquiry is a crime, but being interdisciplinary study criminology affects many other sciences, most commonly sociology but recently more often criminal justice, psychology, political science, the natural sciences, and economics come into the view of criminology. Relatively, criminality and crime scientific study is of last few decades of development.
The book by Larry Siegel turns to the basics of classic criminology and investigates the problem up to the modern society achievements in up-to-date criminology. And coming closer to the main point of the study by Siegel, the book describes a variety of criminology theories.
The book “Criminology: the Core” by Larry Siegel is the authors investigation of the problems connected with committing the crime and, which is most important, the theoretical aspects of committing a crime. The book is dedicated to different approaches made by the criminalist, psychologists, criminalists, theorists on the crime issue. It is the work comprising different specialists experiences investigating the issue. The book draws analogies between the society with its history and its achievements and the problem called crime. Since the modern and up-to-date technologies are concerned with the crime, its preconditions, and conditions, its perpetrations are easily obtainable, and, what is the more of it, are sometimes doubtless.
“Its in Their Blood” is the title of one of the books chapters. The chapter begins with the description of Andrew Luster’s case, his living life of sun and fun, and his dark side of his. He had everything he needed living the privileged life but mentally deranged enough to drug women so that later to rape them. Then comes the question of what makes a wealthy and carefree person behave bizarrely.
As the answer to the question, the author suggests the number of the theories under one title which is trait theories. The author proposes the dependence of criminality and crime to be connected with the brain activity, biological structural aspects, and surroundings of a criminal. And the author continues given trait theories do not single out some psychological or biological attribute to explain the essence of criminality. The theories find it explainable the combinations of biological and psychological factors, that is physical traits, and a persons surroundings, that is environment stipulate certain behavior patterns. And taking into account the Louisville, KY statistics representing the categories of crime the most prominent is the drug abuse crime, and this dependence makes the theory valid.
Some trait theorists believe a diet a person keeps to predispose its biological background resulting in his or her mental ability and mental deviations that are often the root of the crime. Lack or excess of certain biological elements, vitamins, and minerals may cause definite psychological conditions such as ADHD, a range of depressive conditions, dementia, schizophrenia. Deborah Denno’s report during the symposium that took place at the Vermont Law School on 10-12 of April proves Siegels theory. “The researchers found that the best predictor (when the children are 7 years old) for aggressive behavior in school, juvenile delinquency, and eventual criminal violence is the degree of lead poisoning. The second best predictor was anemia, which, being related to deficits in calcium, zinc and other essential minerals, is associated with uptake of toxins from the environment”. To support this theory there is a quote from the book “They Are What You Feed Them” by Dr. Alex Richardson: “Nutrients can actually affect the expression of many genes. This means that you might be genetically ‘at at risk’ for something like ADHD or depression, but you won’t necessarily develop the symptoms if your environment (including diet) is good.” (Richardson, 2006, p.46).
Hormonal influences are noted to be the components to produce aggressive behavior, especially male ones, androgens, along with the diet and environment too. The study by H. Soler and colleagues contributes to trait theories: “Testosterone levels, alcohol consumption, and demographic characteristics were significant in predicting levels of abusive behavior” (Soler, Vinayak & Quadagno, 2000, p. 725).
Religion and its aspects are probably the cooperators in the situation like abusive, offensive, criminal, or mentally deranged deviations. The Christian priests make much effort to prevent the crimes from their parts. The social policy of the Christian church is now one to help the authorities in the struggle against criminality in society.
So as seen from above criminology science made a great step in researching the motives and consequences of crime, made it possible to investigate the crimes through the social, psychological, and other human and personal aspects, especially, as per this essay, biological one.
Works cited
Soler, H., Vinayak, P. & Quadagno, D. (2000). Biosocial aspects of domestic violence. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 25(7), 721-735.
Richardson, A. (2006). They are what you feed them. London: Hyper Thorsons.
Siegel, L., J. (2008). Criminology; the core, 3d ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Co.