A crime is an act that contradicts the law. It causes harm to an individual, a group of people, or an entire community. Defining it might be challenging because the line between a criminal offense and a civil wrong is very narrow. Thus, it is essential to determine the crime correctly and apply the appropriate punishment. Each case should be studied individually, but some come up with unifying theories regarding the nature of criminal behavior.
Several crime theories create the ground for criminology. They help investigate the nature of crimes, their causes and effects, etc. Moreover, they are handy for categorizing the types of crimes and distinguishing offenses from civil wrongs.
For centuries, people have wondered why individuals do bad things. Some claim that the problem is in the structure of our society. Others argue that people have a biological predisposition for committing crimes. Our experts have analyzed the most popular sociological theories of crime in this article. They will be helpful if you are studying criminology or law.
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If you need to write theories of crime essay, we have provided a list of topics. You can also explore our collection of samples on the page.
5 Main Criminology Theories
In fact, there are numerous criminological theories. Each has its own approaches and views. Here, we have listed the most famous ones. Study the main ideologies behind them to know what to write in your essay about crime.
Biological
The biological theory of crime aims to explain unlawful acts by exploring the criminal’s characteristics. This approach relies on a paradigm called positivism. According to it, law-violating behavior results from biological factors beyond individual control. For example, criminals may share similar facial features and body structure.
Rational Choice
Rational choice theory (RCT) suggests that there is no difference between criminal and noncriminal behavior. It is a person’s intentional choice to commit a crime. They assume that such acts may be more rewarding than noncriminal behavior.
Strain
According to strain theory, people commit crimes due to stress. In other words, individuals may become criminals just to reduce or escape the strain they are experiencing. For example, a person might steal jewelry to break away from poverty.
Labeling
Labeling theory suggests that people start behaving under the labels that others put on them. This approach is often associated with the sociology of crime. Labeling an individual as a criminalist often leads to poor conduct.
Conflict
Conflict theory argues that material inequality leads to criminal behavior. The deviance of political and social groups creates a ground for conflicts. That’s because the members of one unit perceive their interests in competition with others.
17 Fascinating Crime Essay Topics
All these theories are interesting enough, and there is a lot to say about them. Therefore, we have brought together the criminology theory paper topics for your consideration. Also, you can use our title generator to get even more ideas!
Theories of crime causation and their application in real life.
The reliability of the psychological theories of crime.
Cesare Lombroso’s role in creating the Italian School of Positivist Criminology.
Cybercrimes: their rising rates and possible ways of their prevention.
The ethical side of punishing criminals.
Qualitative research in investigating crime patterns.
The issue of the reliability of eyewitness testimony.
How media influences crime in the 21st century.
The functionalist approach to evaluate crime and deviance.
Death penalty: should it be allowed or banned?
The role of feminist criminology in establishing gender equality around the globe.
Youth crime prevention programs in the UK.
The danger of domestic violence. Why is it crucial to raise awareness around this topic?
The issue of power abuse in the criminal justice system and possible solutions to this problem.
Are criminological theories always applicable in practice?
Power abuse among police officers: can media influence the problem?
Theories and causes of domestic abuse.
Thank you for reading our article! Below, you can find crime essay examples. Use them for study and inspiration.
At the time, the police noted that Denyer was with his girlfriend. The letter claimed that Denyer knows his whereabouts, and that he was planning to break out of prison to kill him.
As the director of the county juvenile court, the research question related to the problem at hand should state as follows: What are cost effective methods of solving the proliferation of violent street gangs in [...]
One of the core ideas expressed by Chesney-Lind is that girls are highly susceptible to abuse and violent treatment. At the same time, scholars note that girls do not view delinquency as the "rejection of [...]
Over the centuries, the society has taken steps to respond to this vice that threatens the moral fabric of the society. Becker sought to discover the consequences that the application of the label of deviant [...]
The cause and effects of young person offending and the state of Victoria's youth justice system have become a subject of broad debate after a series of violent cases in justice centers.
Theories that explain the occurrence of crime in society have been developed to shed light on the increasing cases of criminal behavior. According to Agnew, crime is the outcome of the difficulties that an individual [...]
In the article "The Functions of Crime", Emile Durkheim argues clearly that crime should be treated and analyzed as a normal aspect of a given society.
In criminal justice, the instrumental theory is based on the idea that criminal justice and criminology is one of the main tools which help to control the poor.
Employment tends to increase the social capital of individuals, what is usually referred to as the networks of shared norms and values, which augments the access to the much-needed necessities.
A serial killer may recognize the law as a deterrent to his or her activities, but not internalize the significance of the ban due to incomplete moral development.
One of the most important components of the criminal justice system is a code of ethics, which governs the behavior and conduct of professionals working within the system.
Since it takes a lot of time and resources to get involved in crime, it is evident that involvement in crime is entirely due to decision of the person to gain the rewards that are [...]
The image of the American Dream and the Strain Theory works in reverse as well: if a person fails to possess lots of quantifiable treasure, then the social order will consider him as a disappointment.
That is why, for the effective investigation, it is important to take all the necessary crime scene processing measures correctly, and the role of the first responding officer is particularly significant.
The general premise for most of these theories is that social factors have a great influence in the development of antisocial and criminal traits. The biosocial theory incorporates interdisciplinary information to a solitary and rational [...]
This paper aims at discussing the evolution, relationship to criminal activities, and the effects of the gang's illegal activities on the communities in which they operate, among other activities of the Latin Kings.
This essay offers a brief discussion of how the abuse of illegal drugs is related to both crime and violence. It is prudent to mention that drug and violence have been noted to be closely [...]
Pages: 2
Words: 570
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In order for the rationality of the crimes to be identified and examined, it is important to provide an overview of the violent offenses that made Paul Bernardo one of the most infamous serial killers [...]
The move to embrace the novel technology has led to the emergence of a new form of crime and behavior referred to as "hacking". Today, the term is used to refer to individuals engaged in [...]
Moreover, feminist scholarship has recently begun to examine serial murder as "sexual terrorism" or as a perpetuation of gynocide, the systematic crippling, raping and/or killing of women by men.
Answer: the examples of the early psychological and psychiatric theories trying to explain criminality are the trait theory, the moral development theory and the cognitive information-processing theory.
The school makes demands of control, discipline, and accountability which are difficult for the low self-control student to meet, and, for this reason, early school leaving is a result of low self-control, not a cause [...]
However, poverty may be regarded as the most substantial cause of the majority of crimes as it indirectly leads to non-compliance with the law in multiple ways.
Considering the murders of people by Theodore Bundy, the problem may be discussed from biological and psychological perspectives as all murders may be characterized by the "trait theory", which is going to be characterized by [...]
The present paper aims at assessing the unique needs of juvenile offenders with mental illnesses in comparison with their adult counterparts and identifying effective strategies for their rehabilitation. The general requirement that applies to both [...]
This brochure will outline some basic notions of risk management and assessment and crime and victimization prevention; additionally, it will provide the reader with some basic strategies of daily risk management and include sources for [...]
The rational choice theory explained the causes of crime to be the ability of an individual to commit the crime, their need for valuable possessions and money, their physical health and ability to commit the [...]
This theory states that "crime occurs when there are not enough legitimate opportunities for people to achieve the success goals imposed by the society".
Pages: 1
Words: 326
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Agnew's general strain hypothesis was an advancement of the strain theory since sought to "expand the strain theory by pointing to new categories of strain including the loss of positive stimuli, the presentation of negative [...]
The middle class norms place a high evaluation on the cultivation and possession of skills and on the tangible achievements which are presumed to witness the possession of skills and the application of effort.
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.
Genetic influences refer to the blueprints for behavior that are contained in a person's chromosomes. It is theoretically possible for a person to carry genes that influence behavior; the behavior they express would be the [...]
These criminals have been exposed to unfavorable conditions in their lives such as violence and poverty and turn to criminal behavior as a coping mechanism.
In criminology, there are numerous theories to identify the predictors of violence and assaults to help solve and moderate the crimes occurring on campus.
With the course of time, people also started paying attention not to the very commitment of crimes but to the triggers that made a person act in a particular way.
The paper concentrates on the history of the introduction of the social learning theory to science, its evolution over the years, and its possible application to the analysis of a recent criminal event.
The murder was the result of an "unconventional" love triangle in which the victim was murdered because she posed a threat to the attacker. On the other hand, active precipitation happens when the victim exhibits [...]
Despite being constantly addressed by different activist groups and getting the response from the legal system, hate crimes are still reported on a regular basis with varying frequency, mostly due to the lack of understanding [...]
In addition, pure RCT may be insufficient for explaining nuances associated with the psychological and social profiles of the offenders. In particular, the traditional RCT faces problems explaining violent crime and irrational risk and reward [...]
The main goal of my work is to build evidence that the number of criminals is not proportional to the severity of the crime and that despite a large number of crimes, not all of [...]
In order to better understand their practices and attempt to put a stop to their actions prematurely, there was a need for proper classification and consequent analysis.
In the context of law enforcement, the former generally refers to the process of police examining the suspect's property. One police procedure that relates to a search is the process of obtaining a search warrant.
As a result, unsolved cases usually remain unaddressed, which is partially the causality of the lack of tools that could potentially connect the circumstances, victims, and patterns. Technological advancements and innovative cooperation are two of [...]
Pages: 1
Words: 308
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This statement in no way absolves the perpetrator of responsibility for the actions committed but describes that the decisions taken are often motivated by the unconscious part of the personality or the presence of mental [...]
Between the articles of violence and the observations about the extent of injustice in the American prison system, there is a high level of injustice instigated by the U.S.government to the African Americans.
There is a number of theoretical perspectives aimed at explaining what stands behind rape, that is, how rape is reinforced by, why it is more widespread in specific concepts, and what a rapist's motivations for [...]
Therefore, it is vital to reinforce the legal measures against child abuse, including the enhancement of legal repercussions for the perpetrators of the specified type of crime.
These activities include the formation of a criminal attitude of the personality, the formation of a criminal motive, the personality of a criminal and a victim, and other means.
Another example of a crime happening due to the criminal's psychological strain is a robbery of an affluent individual by a person unable to satisfy their desire for status and wealth in other ways.
This article would help me demonstrate the importance of a complex approach to any problem that has to be solved by the government through the example of sex crimes. I would use this research for [...]
Therefore, deterrence is meant to ensure that punishments are so harsh that members of the public will fear committing a crime that will lead them to the same punishment.
It can be argued that one of the most prominent applications of the labeling theory is racial profiling, which also accounts for the oversaturation of African Americans in crime and criminal justice system.
Hallsworth and Silverstone argues that although there have been a lot of violence, the main source is not quite clear and people live by speculations that the violence is linked to the emergence of a [...]
People who spend a portion of their life in prison emerge without the skills to survive in society. According to the video, although America has only 5% of the world's population, 25% of convicted people [...]
These people accept their social position and stratification and adhere to the organizational means they are supposed to follow. They propose new ways to success and goals due to their alienation from the cultural and [...]
The use of sexual assault as a weapon of war in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, with about 500,000 and 60,000 rapes committed respectively, is a monument to the world.
Pages: 6
Words: 1712
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Besides, these theories correlate with one of the latest versions, according to which the murder of JFK was a conspiracy of the CIA and mafia members, including Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald.
The form of management adopted by an organization, whether legal or unlawful, is determined by the nature of its activities the management experience of its officials."A patron-client organization is a group of criminal patron's who [...]
The article claims that both the environment and the person's experiences contribute to the development of serial killer tendencies. It has been noted that the lack of continuity in serial killing is due to a [...]
First and foremost, one should note that one of the most typical ethical concerns in the relevant field is the cases of discrimination on the ground of the national origin.
That is why this paper's objective is to explore different views on how the factors of race and culture can influence the violent and criminal behavior in people, to analyze the evident correlations between the [...]
The present paper analyzes an empirical-based study on the patterns of female offending in the light of state dependence and population heterogeneity approaches to offending.
To my firm belief, utilitarian ethical system is more advantageous than the systems proposed by libertarianism and determinism since it accepts human nature and puts the general safety above the individual good.
The present paper aims to examine the links between gender and crime through an analysis of a sexual assault case. Identification of crime patterns is a valuable tool to guide criminologists as it helps them [...]
This is further worsened by the fact that the number of offenders to be monitored after being released is often higher than the number of officers tasked with the responsibility of following up on them.
It is imperative to note that some of these theories are swallowed up in the initial five, and so for the purposes of this paper, only the fundamental aspects of these theories will be discussed.
It is possible to conclude that white collar offenders are usually well off and have certain status in the society. On balance, it is necessary to note that demographic and psychological characteristics of white collar [...]
The generalisation about the people who commit crime indicates flaws in the processes of thinking and possible outcomes. It appears that the society chooses to pay attention to crime committed by specific groups, such as [...]
This paper draws the theories discussed herein from a radical orientation; they include radical, feminist and critical criminology theories and present principles that alter the existing and traditional views on the development of criminal behaviour [...]
Pages: 2
Words: 549
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The article is very informative since outlines a couple of the reasons behind the rampant increase in cases of negligence and lack of concern, especially from the government.
The majority of homicide victimization of the whites is done through poison followed by arson and lastly guns. Although the majority of homicides committed are intra-racial, special focus is usually given by juries in inter-racial [...]
The Sox Act was introduced by congress after a near collapse of the stock market in the 1990s. This was a more elaborate piece of legislation as it increased the maximum sentencing period to 20 [...]
The model of a political society in which law restrains and guides the implementation of power by rulers dates from the early stages of systematic thought in the Western world.
A criminal case involves the breaking of a law that governs the whole state unlike the civil case where the law broken is only applicable to the subjects in the conflict.
There are no relatives in the area that can provide temporary housing, and Simon will have a portion of his wages garnished to pay the $18,000 debt of child support. In North Carolina, there are [...]
The study will be based on the mixed research method and, the rate of successful participants in the program as well as particular attitudes and ideas of inmates concerning the program.
Victim-blaming can have life-long consequences on the lives of crime victims, highlighting the need to stop the media's scrutiny of the victims and focus on those really responsible for the crime instead.
According to Freud's theory, the "it" component incorporates the biologic, or intrinsic, elements of one's personality, whereas the "ego" constituent of one's personality implies a combination of the influences of the society and the intrinsic [...]
In this theory, the level of self control exercised by individuals in the presence of a strong or a weak incentive to commit a crime explains why some people commit crimes while others do not.
An analysis of the experiment reveals that the fake prison environment managed to evoke emotions and feelings in the prisoners, the prison warden, and even Zimbardo who played the warden.
Pages: 3
Words: 830
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Nevertheless, despite the fact that in his book The Lucifer Effect: Understanding how good people turn evil, Zimbardo strived to undermine the soundness of a dispositional outlook on the subject matter, while providing readers with [...]
The purposes of the report are thus to analyze the statistical data by the UK Home Office, to compare rates dynamics regarding various crime types, and make respective conclusions that would help in either confirming [...]
Many of the people who are not in favor of such an act believe that hanging a person till death is not the only solution, so I say question them "what could be the other [...]
There is a relationship between street gangs and prison gangs as well as the behavior of individuals and the gangs. And in this way the gangs are able to recruit the unsuspecting kids.
The conflict theory differs from the biological theory in the sense that it does not locate the criminals in the society but instead, it identifies the major cause of criminal and deviant behavior in the [...]
Thus it is anchored on the notion that criminal law exists for the purpose of deterring public wrongs in doing so the theory is emphatic that criminal conviction stands as long as the defendant has [...]
However, his theory was important in that, it gave a challenge to the idea of criminals being wicked or as having chosen to be engaging in criminal acts.
The next will extrapolate on several measures that should be undertaken at both individuals and institutional level to ensure that personal information is always safe and out of reach from criminals.
In the Information age where a person has access to more knowledge about the folly of being involved in criminal activities and the negative impact of having a prison record, it is a mystery why [...]
The social problem theory claims that although an individual commits crime, the cause of the individual committing the crime was due to problems within society.
On the other hand, if the crime rate is low in a country, the government need not spend so much on the salaries of policemen and the same money can be utilized to make sure [...]
The press - in newspapers, television, and magazines - keeps us apprised of the seriousness of the crime problem. As a result of the perceived threat of crime, Americans are becoming more and more fearful.
The aim of this paper is to define the role of psychology in the criminal justice field and consider the basic theories that explain criminal behavior.
Pages: 6
Words: 1953
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Satisfaction of rehabilitation costs, salaries, and payment of the government officials and employees involved in the operations and activities related to the war on drugs have been included in the estimation of the cost of [...]
The present paper is designed to use the subculture approach that belongs to the array of ecological theories to explain the emergence of crime in Boyle Heights, composed mostly of citizens of Latino cultural background.
The success of the Police Tapes is not surprising as the force and tension with which the Raymonds describe how police officers deal with the urban crime, violence, cynicism, brutality and despair at the 44th [...]
The crime and its implications has to be made understood to each and every citizen of the nation right from the stage he or she starts getting the feel of the society and things that [...]
The decorum of the society was usually controlled by a federal body of the state, and the laws used to be abided by by all the people residing in the society.
Thus, researchers failed to discover communications that integrated people's place in the stratification process and their desires. In one of the few efforts to integrate both financial desires and measures of fiscal accomplishment, Adler Freda [...]
One of the weaknesses of Sutherland's theory is that it only addresses the mechanisms of learned behavior without considering the overarching reasons for criminal behavior.
In the absence of a parental figure, these children should be placed into orphanages rather than being left out on the street and get exposed to the whole array of factors described in the general [...]
The article published in the Epoch Times, titled "23 Members of Chicago Street Gang Face Federal Charges," tells about the members of the Goonie gang, which used lethal violence in order to instill an atmosphere [...]
Breetzke and Cohn, for instance, apply the theory to burglaries in the gated communities of South Africa which became popular in the region due to the rising rates of violence and crime.
Pages: 7
Words: 2007
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