Psychology as a subject aims to understand and explain human thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Therefore, psychology can help us answer questions such as "Who is at greater risk of ending up in criminality?" or "What makes a person commit a crime?" Psychology is not the only subject needed to understand crime, however. Fields such as sociology, economics, geography, and medicine also contribute important perspectives and aspects to the issue. Together, the different theories provide a more holistic understanding of crime.
Different types of theories
Society-oriented theories
Theories that focus on criminal behavior as a consequence of complex social structures, such as economic inequality or a lack of educational opportunities.
Socially focused theories
Theories that argue that socialization and the influence of the group create criminal behavior. For example, peer pressure or upbringing may affect the risk of developing criminal behavior.
Individual-focused theories
Individual-focused theories that advocate biological and psychological explanations of crime. Here, factors such as neuropsychological difficulties or impulse control are emphasized.
Power and conflict theories
Power and conflict theories that argue that the background to crime can be found in conflicts between groups of people. This may involve conflicts between men and women as well as conflicts between different cultures.
Geographic theories
Geographically linked theories that highlight how certain environments and places create greater opportunities for crime and therefore become more exposed to criminality. For example, places with high anonymity or low social control.
Reflect
What do you think: is it the individual, the group, or society that matters most in whether a crime is committed or not?
References
Sources and links
Books, articles, and source material used in this article.
Book
Granhag, P. A., Stromwall, L. A., Ask, K. & Landstrom, S. (2021) Handbook of Forensic Psychology. 2nd ed. Liber
Book
Howitt, D. (2002) Forensic & Criminal Psychology. Pearson Education