Criminological Theories Table Notes

Theory Classical / Deterrence Beccaria Bentham Rational Choice Cornish Clarke Main Concepts Main Propositions Certainty, celerity, Punishment of severity of legal crimes produces punishment specific and general deterrence Rewards v. costs Expected utility of crime Rational choice Empirical Validity Implications Weak Large body of research Tough criminal justice policies and programs Decision to violate None for pure Similar to deterrence the law made after rational choice, and routine activities rational weak for moderate theories consideration of for modified models, Situation specific rewards and costs sizeable body of prevention research Routine Activities Motivated offender Crime occurs when Weak Routine precautions Felson Vulnerable targets routine activities Little direct testing and prevention Cohen or victims produce lack of Target hardening Capable guardians guardianship of Change in routine targets in the activities presence of motivated offenders Early Biological Lombroso Hooton Modern Biosocial Mednick Ellis Rowe Psychoanalytic Friedlander Born criminal Criminals are born Atavism Criminals are Biological inferiority inherently defective Essentially none Small body of research Eugenics Permanent segregation from society Genetic heritability Crime results from Weak Prenatal care Slow neurological genetically or Modest bit growing Genetic counselling arousal biologically caused body of research Community Low IQ criminal programs to counter Biological susceptibility in genetic susceptibility imbalances interaction with Other biological social factors susceptibility Abnormalities of id Crime is symptom of Very weak Ego irrational, Small body of direct Superego unconscious motives research Psychiatric disorder and psychiatric disturbance In depth individualised psychotherapy Personality Traits Hathaway Antisocial or maladjusted personality traits Crime results from the individual's personality traits Weak to moderate Large body of research Individual or group psychological counselling Psychopathic Personality Hare Psychopathy Sociopathy Personality syndrome of shallowness Selfishness No conscience Psychopaths have a very high probability of committing serious and persistent crime Weak Sizeable body of research Little chance of changing psychopaths with treatment or early intervention 

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