John Wayne Gacy Jr.
CRJS 131-1A Criminology
Key Graded Assignment – The Mind of a Killer
Ernesto Argote
Westwood College
January 2012
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior (Siegel 4). Criminology is not just understanding criminal actions but also studying how to correct and prevent crime, overall. There are five major Criminological theories, (1) Classical Theory, (2) Positivist Theory, (3) Marxist / Conflict Theory, (4) Sociological Theory, and (5) Multifactor / Integrated Theory. Classical Theory originated at about 1764 and it involves Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism, which means that people choose to act when they believe their actions will bring an increase in pleasure and a decrease in pain. This theory was also founded by Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794). Beccaria applied this reasoning to criminal behavior. He agreed that people want to achieve pleasure to avoid pain. Beccaria stated his famous theorem:
In order for punishment not to be in every instance, an act of violence of one or many against a private citizen, it must be essentially public, prompt, necessary, the least possible in the given circumstances, proportionate to the crimes, and dictated by the laws.
This is the core of what today is known as classical criminology. Crime can only be deterred or prevented if the punishment of a crime inputs fear into the mind of the potential criminal before he or she commits the crime. It must be proven that “crime does not pay” (Siegel 6). Positivist Theory originated in the early 19th century (1810). This theory involves Auguste Comte’s (1798-1857) way of applying the scientific method to the study of society. Positivism is based on facts that are obtained through observation and not through belief. Unlike other theories that imply external factors as the cause of crime, this theory implies that crime is committed because of one’s biological features, or internal factors. Some people are crime prone because they have
Key Graded Assignment – The Mind of a Killer
Ernesto Argote
Westwood College
January 2012
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior (Siegel 4). Criminology is not just understanding criminal actions but also studying how to correct and prevent crime, overall. There are five major Criminological theories, (1) Classical Theory, (2) Positivist Theory, (3) Marxist / Conflict Theory, (4) Sociological Theory, and (5) Multifactor / Integrated Theory. Classical Theory originated at about 1764 and it involves Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism, which means that people choose to act when they believe their actions will bring an increase in pleasure and a decrease in pain. This theory was also founded by Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794). Beccaria applied this reasoning to criminal behavior. He agreed that people want to achieve pleasure to avoid pain. Beccaria stated his famous theorem:
In order for punishment not to be in every instance, an act of violence of one or many against a private citizen, it must be essentially public, prompt, necessary, the least possible in the given circumstances, proportionate to the crimes, and dictated by the laws.
This is the core of what today is known as classical criminology. Crime can only be deterred or prevented if the punishment of a crime inputs fear into the mind of the potential criminal before he or she commits the crime. It must be proven that “crime does not pay” (Siegel 6). Positivist Theory originated in the early 19th century (1810). This theory involves Auguste Comte’s (1798-1857) way of applying the scientific method to the study of society. Positivism is based on facts that are obtained through observation and not through belief. Unlike other theories that imply external factors as the cause of crime, this theory implies that crime is committed because of one’s biological features, or internal factors. Some people are crime prone because they have