Why are some individuals more likely than others to commit crime? Why are some categories or kinds of people more likely than others to commit crime? The most common theories can be classified into three groups: sociological, biological, and psychological.
Biological theories tend to see crime as a form of illness caused by pathology specific to certain individuals. Some examples include Sheldon’s research on Body Types which was studied on 200 bodies and found mesomorphic body types more prone to delinquent activities. Another biological theory found that an extra Y chromosome correlated with crime. The extra Y chromosome was founded to create a strong compulsion that the XYY carrier is at an extreme risk of committing violent crimes.
Psychological theories of crime emphasize individual differences in behavior and the approaches to thinking, feeling, and decision-making that make some people predisposed to committing criminal acts. Scientific principles that are formulated and applied to the analysis and understanding of cognitive and behavioral phenomena. One example could be someone with antisocial personality disorder. Someone with antisocial personality do not learn from punishment, do not experience fear/anxiety about consequences of their behavior.
Both genetic and physiological factors are emphasized in biological explanations of criminal behavior. Hereditary factors influence criminal behavior, but the mechanisms through which this influence is exerted are unclear. The most likely candidates involve neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, and certain subcortical and cortical brain structures, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for monitoring behavioral inhibition, planning, and decision-making. A more specific prospect involves a mutation on the X chromosome in the gene coding for MAO-A, in combination with maltreatment as a child.
Social-psychological theories view criminal behavior as a learned response resulting from classical conditioning, reinforcement, observation or modeling, and social labeling. Sociological theories of criminology believe that society influences a person to become a criminal. Examples include the social learning theory, which says that people learn criminal behavior from the people around them, and social conflict theory, which says that class warfare is responsible for crime
Gruman, J.A.,Schneider, F.W., & Coutts, L.A. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.