Why Do People Commit Crimes?

Ex. of Strain Theory: Walter White in Breaking Bad

- When Walter learns that he has cancer and doesn't have long to live, he realizes that he has nothing to leave behind for his family and that he has failed to live "The American Dream" - He turns to cooking meth in order to earn and save money for his family - In the process, he ends up becoming a drug lord and finds that his alter ego is more successful than his true self

Introduction: Why Do People Commit Crimes?

1. Criminal profilers, psychologists, criminologists, and law enforcement officials all want to know what makes someone decide to become a criminal a. They are particularly interested in understanding serial criminals since they repeat their behaviors b. They believe that if we understand what drives criminal behavior then they can work to reduce the number of crimes 2. There are 7 key theories that help to explain why people commit crimes

Theory #2: Social Disorganization Theory

1. This theory states that a person's physical and social environment are primarily responsible for the behavioral choices that a person makes - Ex: A neighborhood that is considered to be a "bad" neighborhood is more likely to have a high crime rate - Why? These neighborhoods have poor schools, vacant and vandalized buildings, high unemployment rates or drug and alcohol use, and contain a mix of commercial and residential properties - These criminals tend to think since they are from a bad neighborhood they should do bad things

Theory #3: The Strain Theory

1. This theory states that most people have similar aspirations but they don't all have the same opportunities or abilities - These criminals fail to achieve society's expectations through approves means such as hard work and delayed gratification (i.e. you can't get what you want instantly), so they may attempt to achieve success through crime - These criminals think that if they can't get what they want be successful the traditional way, they will turn to crime and get what they want instead

Theory #5: Social Control Theory

1. This theory states that most ppl would commit crime if not for the controls society places on individuals through institutions such as school, work places, churches, and families - These institutions teach us that it's wrong to commit crime and that there are consequences for criminal behavior; if these controls didn't exist, we would be much more likely to commit the crime and not acknowledge right from wrong

Theory #1: Rational Choice Theory

1. This theory states that people act in their self-interest and make decisions to commit crime after weighing the potential risks (including getting caught and being punished) against the rewards - These individuals are more likely to think that the rewards will outweigh the risks and decide to commit the crime

Theory #7: Biology, Genes, and Evolution

1. This theory states that poor diet, mental illness, bad brain chemistry, and even evolutionary rewards for aggressive criminal conduct cause criminal behavior - These criminals are viewed as being biologically disadvantaged because they're predisposed to engaging in criminal behavior

Theory #4: Social Learning Theory

1. This theory states that ppl develop motivation to commit crime and the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with - Ex: If a person is friends with someone who commits burglary and the friend often brags about the burglaries or takes the person along to commit a burglary, then they will learn the behaviors needed to be commit the same type of crime

Theory #6: The Labeling Theory

1. This theory states that ppl in power decide what acts are crimes, and the act of labeling someone a criminal is what makes him or her a criminal - Once a person is labeled a criminal, society takes away his or her opportunities, which may lead to more criminal behavior - Ex: If someone was arrested for a felony, they're limited in what jobs they can have. Since they're limited w/ the amount of income they can make, they may resort back to criminal behavior since someone views them as a criminal anyway