Essay on Criminological Theories - 13456 Words

Student Study Guide for Ronald L. Akers and Christine S. Sellers’ Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Applications Fourth Edition Prepared by Eric See Youngstown State University Roxbury Publishing Company Los Angeles, California 1 Student Study Guide by Eric See for Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application , 4th Edition by Ronald L. Akers and Christine S. Sellers Copyright  © 2004 Roxbury Publishing Company, Los Angeles, California. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,†¦show more content†¦Testability. To be valid and ultimately useful, a theory must be able to be subjected to scientific research. Theories may be untestable if they are tautological, propose causes that are not measurable, or are so open-ended that empirical findings can always be re-interpreted to support the theory. Theory. In simple terms, theory is an explanation of something. Theories of Criminal and Deviant Behavior. Theories in this category attempt to explain why an individual commits criminal or deli nquent acts. Theories of Law and Criminal Justice. Theories in this category attempt to explain how laws are made, and how the criminal justice system operates as a whole. Usefulness. This refers to the real world applications that the theory proposes or suggests, and the ability to implement those applications. Key Concepts 1. Theories are useful tools that help us to understand and explain the world around us. In criminology, they help us to understand the workings of the criminal justice system and the actors in the system. 2. Theories suggest the way things are, not the way things ought to be. They are not inherently good or bad; however, they can be used for good or bad purposes. 3. A theory can try to explain crime for a large social unit or area (macro), or it can attempt to explain crime at the individual or smaller unit level (micro). 4. Because we are dealing with human behavior, the social sciences will never be like the hard sciences. In the hard sciences, theShow MoreRe latedDetermining the Cause of Bullying by Using Three Main Criminological Theories906 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual factors that affect bullying. The current study that will be discussed attempts to determine the cause of bullying by using three main criminological theories, which are general theory of crime, differential association theory, and general strain theory. Concentration will be placed on the conclusive data found from the use of general strain theory. Moon, Hwang, and McCluskey (2011) conducted a longitudinal study that consisted of analyzing data from two waves of questionnaires given outRead MorePersonal Criminological Theory890 Words   |  4 PagesPersonal Criminological theory To prevent crime, it is imperative that the law enforcement agencies and scholars examine why people commit crime. A number of theories have emerged and many still continue to be explored in exclusion and in combination to seek the best solutions that can ultimately reduce the types and the levels of crime. One such theory that is still being explored is social disorganization theory. According to this theory peoples tendency to take part in criminal activitiesRead MoreIntegrated Criminological Theories2451 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction Criminological theories have come a long way from their origins; in ancient times it was believed that crimes were committed by people who were possessed by the devil, or women who practiced the dark art of witchcraft (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011, pg 18). As the theories progressed into modern times, the theorist behind these criminological theories had only focused on one single cause behind criminality. Thanks to the work done by member of the Chicago School many of the new theories were ableRead MoreApplying Criminological Theory to Solve the Murder of Tigger Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesApplying criminological theory to a suspect’s anecdotal evidence can help to distinguish which suspect could be the possible offender. In this certain case, poor Tigger has been murdered and there are 3 possible suspects. Merton’s Anomie Theory will be applied to suspect number 1: Winnie The Pooh. Eysenck’s Theory will be applied to suspect number 2: Piglet and Social Bond T heory will be applied to suspect number 3: Eeyore. Merton’s Anomie theory works around the theory that a society or cultureRead MorePersonal Criminological Theory Paper1142 Words   |  5 PagesPersonal Criminological Theory Paper Criminological Theory 3 February 2012 Personal Criminological Theory Paper Introduction Through out the years Criminologists has conducted a great amount of research and through that research Criminologist has developed different theories in order to better understand and explain criminal behavior. Theories try to help make sense out of many observations that are conducted presenting the facts of the principal that connects and explains the theories. If goodRead MoreThe Contribution Of Criminological Theory2187 Words   |  9 Pages With reference to two or more of the theories covered in this module, critically assess the contribution that criminological theory could make to our understanding of an issue of crime, justice or punishment. The way in which a society criminalises a persons actions has been, and still is, and heavily debated topic. From pre-enlightenment; where by crimes were seen as action against the natural order, to a more modern stance that the notion of crime in itself is socially constructed. CrimeRead MoreCriminological Theory and Burglary1796 Words   |  8 Pagesthe St. Louis area and gaining inside knowledge of these criminals’ daily lives and their crimes. This paper will address anomie and bond theories and how it relates to the offenders in this study and the socialization of these subjects into criminality and the street culture in which they live. Conventional Goals? According to Robert Merton’s anomie theory, people are not born criminals; they conform to the environment in which they live. Conventional means of reaching a goal are often moreRead MoreCriminological Theories Of Juvenile Violence845 Words   |  4 Pagesand other outside factors. Juvenile are in a period in their lives where countless aspects can influence the way they think, act, and even speak. Criminological theories have been created and tested to factor why juveniles partake in crime and why do they tend to be influenced to continuously break the law. Theories like micro, macro, and critical theories assisted in creating a model towards explanation on why there is juvenile violence. According to Bushman et al., â€Å"youth homicide rates are 3 toRead MoreTheories And Rehabilitation Of The Criminological Theory Book By Frank Williams IIi And Marilyn D. Mcshane Essay862 Words   |  4 PagesCriminological theory paper: Ch.14 theories and Rehabilitation Chapter 14 of the Criminological Theory book by Frank Williams III and Marilyn D. McShane is dedicated to Contemporary theories of Process. Contemporary theories of process in this chapter include general strain theory, self-control theory and developmental life course theory. These three theories focus on â€Å"the importance of factors in early life† (Williams McShane 2014 Page 204). I believe the theories that are reviewed in this chapterRead MoreCriminological Theories And Theories Of Criminal Behavior Essay1906 Words   |  8 PagesCriminological Theories Criminological theories (also known as theoretical criminology), according to Schmalleger (2015), is the â€Å"subfield of general criminology that posits explanations of criminal behavior.† (p. 13) There are many theories under this subfield that exist to help people have a better understanding of a criminal s actions as well as put some justification behind them. There are six different schools that fall under criminological theories. These schools are: Classical School, Biological/Biosocial