The criminology theory I would most agree with would be Moffitt’s Developmental Taxonomy, as discussed in the Cauffman, Steinberg, and Piquero article (2005). This is because this model of criminology considers sociocultural, biological and psychological reasonings as to why one might commit a crime. The other theorists presented in the readings tend to focus on only one aspect: Gottfredson and Hirschi believe crime to have no biological nor psychological component, and is instead an issue of self control (Cauffman et al., 2005); Hooton believed biology to be the main influential factor (Rafter, 2004); and Singh and Rani (2017) identify psychological aspects, with certain personality profiles being more prone to committing crimes than other profiles. Instead of choosing one of three possibilities, which would be purely sociocultural, purely biological, or purely psychological, Moffitt presents a balanced view where certain crimes may be committed because of biological or psychological disposition, but also in combination with social, cultural and economic factors.
The reason I believe that crime is the result of all three potential factors is because crimes vary, and there are different motivations for committing certain crimes. Gottfredson and Hirschi believe that a lack of self control is the sole reason crimes are committed. While a lack of self control may contribute to a crime, there are instances where crimes are committed not due to a lack of self control, but because of another motivation. For instance, a child who grows up observing normalized criminal behavior, such as heavy drug use, may emulate this behavior not due to lack of self control, but because it is normalized and the child would not perceive it as being against his or her value system. Political dissidents and those who commit crimes because they believe they are acting with moral superiority would also not have a lack of self-control; they would simply be following their own value system, while the rest of society condemns their actions as criminal.
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"Biological and Psychological Perspectives on Criminology".
Hooton’s perspective that crime has a strong correlate with biology is also sensible, as can be seen in crimes committed by psychopaths. People with certain physiological or biological abnormalities might indeed commit more crimes due to these abnormalities. However, this theory does not explain why crime rates would be higher in certain regions or neighborhoods, particularly if they are diverse but share unfavorable socioeconomic conditions. This would seem to indicate a cultural or socioeconomic reason, and not a biological factor, is the cause for higher crime rates.
Singh and Rami identify psychological factors in regard to crime, finding that extroverts are more likely to commit crimes than introverts. This may also be true; however, it does not explain every crime that is committed. Biological factors may also be involved: if someone has abnormally high testosterone that is naturally produced, this person may naturally feel more aggressive, and more likely to commit a crime as a result. Psychological factors may explain some crimes, but not all.
Moffitt’s view on crime is that there are two categories: adolescent criminals, and adult criminals. Adolescents may commit crimes simply because they do not know any better, and may be pressured to do so. Adults, however, may have a variety of cultural, economic, biological, or psychological reasons for committing a crime. This is the most reasonable theory, because it understands that not all criminals are similarly motivated, and not all crimes are the same. Violent crimes may have a greater biological factor, while white collar crimes may be due to a lack of self control, and even other types of crime may have a psychological component. All three factors most likely contribute to the likelihood of a crime being committed, so there is no singular explanation.
- Cauffman, E., Steinberg, L., & Piquero, A. R. (2005). Psychological, neuropsychological and physiological correlates of serious antisocial behavior in adolescence: The role of self‐control. Criminology, 43(1), 133-176.
- Rafter, N. (2004). Earnest A. Hooton and the biological tradition in American criminology. Criminology, 42(3), 735-772.
- Singh, D., & Rani, A. (2017). A study of psychological (personality) correlates of criminal behavior. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 8(1), 62-66.
