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commit Crimes?
Theories of Criminology
Criminology
Criminology refers to the study
of the nature, causes, and
means of dealing with crime
Classical Criminology
Classical theories on criminology
came out of the chaos of justice
in the 18th and early 19th
centuries
Some key thinkers:
Cesare Beccaria
Jeremy Bentham
Cesare Beccaria
Famous for writing On Crimes and Punishment
Humans are driven by self-interest, but are
rational in their decisions
Government should act on behalf of all citizens
Citizens are prepared to give up some freedoms
in exchange for protection
Existence of law should act as sufficient deterrent
Punishment should be proportionately greater
than enjoyment received by disobeying
Jeremy Bentham
Based his view on theory of utilitarianism
Law should ensure the greatest good for
the greatest number of people
Social contract between government and
people, each with clear responsibilities
Government to make clear what was
illegal and what punishment would
arise
Citizens to follow laws as created
Positive Theory (Positivism)
However, researchers soon found out that this was not true and
that criminals had normal chromosomes and that non-criminals
also had abnormal chromosomes.
*http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2012/09/tall-tales.aspx
Sociology cont
Ecological School
Milgram Experiment
Bandura (1999) states, People behave in ways they would normally oppose
if a legitimate authority accepts responsibility for the consequences of that
behavior. Under these conditions, people view their actions as the dictates
of authorities rather than their own actions.
According to reports in the article, the torture and abuse of the civilians was
approved and facilitated by the White House