CJUS P 100 1st Edition Lecture 3 Outline of Last Lecture I The Crime Picture A Crime Data and Policing B Control techniques II Sources of Criminal Justice Data A Uniform Crime Report B NIBRS C Traditional UCR D National Crime Victimization Survey III UCR NIBRS vs NCVS Outline of Current Lecture I Theories of crime A Intro to theory B Interdisciplinary theory C Deviance D Criminal behavior E General categories of theory II Accessing the cause of crime A Classical theories B Neo classical theories C Biological theories Current Lecture These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute I II Intro to theory A A set of interrelated ideas that attempt to describe explain predict and ultimately control some class of events B Theories are models that can be tested utilizing a hypothesis C Fits the facts and stands up to scrutiny D Research is the use of standardizing systemic procedures in the search for knowledge a Interdisciplinary theory integrates a variety of theoretical viewpoints in an attempt to explain something such as crime and violence b Deviance a violation of social norms defining appropriate behavior under a particular set of circumstances not necessarily criminal behavior c Criminal behavior deviant behavior converted into law approved by a legislative body written down and codified E General Categories of theory a Classical neoclassical b Early biological c Biosocial d Psychological e Sociological social process f Conflict g Emergent Accessing the causes of crime A Classical theories late 18th century a People freely choose to engage in crime b Grew out the enlightenment a Moved beyond superstition b Free will and reasonable punishment B Concerned with why individuals committed crime rather than whether or not there had been a crime C Baccaria is considered founder of the classical school of criminology a Proposed basic changes in the criminal laws in his day to make them more humanitarian b Suggested that punishment should be just and sufficient to deter criminal behavior D Bentham developed hedonistic calculus a The punishment had to outweigh the crime b Thus crime prevention is possible through swift and certain punishment to offset gains made through crime E Neoclassical theories hold that offenders make a rational choice to commit crime a Rational choice theory benefits outweigh costs F G H I J K b Routine activities theory motivated offender suitable target lack of a capable guardian Biological theory a Behavior is predetermines and genetically based b Criminality may be passed on from generation to generation c Criminal are identifiable through physical characteristics or genetic makeup d Treatment is generally ineffective but aggression may be usefully redirected e Cesare Lambroso father of positivist theory a Atavism condition characterized by the existence of features thought to be familiar in earlier stages of evolution b Application of scientific techniques to the study of crime and criminals c Findings have been questioned shown to be a product of selection f Franz Joseph Gall Phrenology a The brain consists of localized faculties and functions b The shape of the skull reveals underlying development or lack of in areas within the brain c Personality can be revealed by the skull Criminal families a Mental degeneration is an inherited contributor to crime b The Jukes studies by sociologist Richard Dugale William Sheldon s Somotypes a Endomorphs exomorphs and mesomorphs Eugenics biological theories led to the belief that sterilization would keep criminal characteristics from being passed on to offspring Biolsocial theories sets interaction between biology and the physical and social environments as key to understanding human behavior a Can include brain dysfunction glucose metabolism poor nutrition physiological reactivity with the social environment and DNA in producing deviant and criminal behavior b Chromosomes can have gene defects enzymes and hormones Chromosome theory a XYY syndrome b Connection between chromosome patterns and crime c Some males have an extra Y chromosome which makes them a super male