Psychological theories for explaining crime
Alexandro Moncayo-Samperio
10/07/2013
The Psychological Theories of Crime Researchers in many disciplines have tried to understand why crime takes place and they have develop several theories for explaining crime. (Barkan and Bryjak, pg. 41) There are three different theories that explain the reasons of crime. Rational choice, deterrence and routine activities theory, biological and psychological theories and sociological theories. My focus on this paper are the different psychological theories for explaining crime Psychology is the scientific study of behavior, experience, and mental processes in all living creatures. (Fernald). Psychological theories of crime use a deviants psychology to explain the motivations and impulses to violate social norms. Psychologists all over the world had tried to explain the reasons of crime for centuries and they had come to different conclusions about this topic. Psychoanalytic views assume that criminal behavior stems from the failure of individuals to adjust their instinctive needs to the dictates of society (Bartol and Bartol 2011). Sigmund Freud said that all human beings are born with certain instincts. They all have natural drives and urges repressed in the unconscious and they all have criminal tendencies. Freud hypothesized that the most common element that contributed to criminal behavior was a faulty identification by a child with her or his parents. Freud also said, that the improperly socialized child may develop a personality disturbance that causes her or him to direct antisocial impulses inward or outward. The child who directs them outward becomes a criminal, and the child that directs them inward becomes a neurotic. Even if this is a valid explanation in most cases, sometimes there are criminals with healthy childhood and good parents. These individuals become criminals because of the influence that society has on them while they are developing their identities and personalities. Another famous
10/07/2013
The Psychological Theories of Crime Researchers in many disciplines have tried to understand why crime takes place and they have develop several theories for explaining crime. (Barkan and Bryjak, pg. 41) There are three different theories that explain the reasons of crime. Rational choice, deterrence and routine activities theory, biological and psychological theories and sociological theories. My focus on this paper are the different psychological theories for explaining crime Psychology is the scientific study of behavior, experience, and mental processes in all living creatures. (Fernald). Psychological theories of crime use a deviants psychology to explain the motivations and impulses to violate social norms. Psychologists all over the world had tried to explain the reasons of crime for centuries and they had come to different conclusions about this topic. Psychoanalytic views assume that criminal behavior stems from the failure of individuals to adjust their instinctive needs to the dictates of society (Bartol and Bartol 2011). Sigmund Freud said that all human beings are born with certain instincts. They all have natural drives and urges repressed in the unconscious and they all have criminal tendencies. Freud hypothesized that the most common element that contributed to criminal behavior was a faulty identification by a child with her or his parents. Freud also said, that the improperly socialized child may develop a personality disturbance that causes her or him to direct antisocial impulses inward or outward. The child who directs them outward becomes a criminal, and the child that directs them inward becomes a neurotic. Even if this is a valid explanation in most cases, sometimes there are criminals with healthy childhood and good parents. These individuals become criminals because of the influence that society has on them while they are developing their identities and personalities. Another famous