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122 Criminal Behavior Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Criminal behavior is a complex and multifaceted field of study that encompasses various aspects, including psychology, sociology, criminology, and law. Exploring this subject can provide valuable insights into the causes, motivations, and consequences of criminal actions. If you are looking for essay topic ideas on criminal behavior, here are 122 suggestions along with some examples to inspire your research and writing.

• The psychological factors influencing criminal behavior.
• Example: The role of early childhood experiences in shaping criminal tendencies.
• The sociological factors contributing to criminal behavior.
• Example: The impact of poverty and social inequality on crime rates.
• The biological determinants of criminal behavior.
• Example: The influence of genetics and hereditary factors on criminal propensity.
• The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the connection between schizophrenia and violent crimes.
• The role of substance abuse in criminal behavior.
• Example: Exploring the link between drug addiction and property crimes.
• The influence of media and entertainment on criminal behavior.
• Example: Investigating the effects of violent video games on aggression and criminality.
• The impact of family dynamics on criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the correlation between broken families and juvenile delinquency.
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in reducing criminal recidivism.
• Example: Evaluating the success rate of vocational training programs for prisoners.
• The role of gender in criminal behavior.
• Example: Examining the differences in criminal patterns between males and females.
• The relationship between education level and criminal involvement.
• Example: Investigating the link between high school dropout rates and criminal activity.
• The influence of peer pressure on criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the impact of gang affiliation on youth involvement in crime.
• The role of religion in preventing criminal behavior.
• Example: Exploring the impact of religious beliefs on moral decision-making.
• The impact of social media on cybercrime rates.
• Example: Investigating how online platforms facilitate identity theft and fraud.
• The effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime rates.
• Example: Examining the success of neighborhood watch programs in crime prevention.
• The relationship between unemployment and criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the correlation between joblessness and property crimes.
• The influence of cultural factors on criminal behavior.
• Example: Exploring the impact of honor codes on violent crimes in certain societies.
• The role of law enforcement in deterring criminal behavior.
• Example: Evaluating the effectiveness of stricter penalties in reducing crime rates.
• The impact of childhood abuse on later criminal involvement.
• Example: Investigating the connection between child maltreatment and domestic violence.
• The relationship between intelligence and criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the correlation between low IQ scores and criminal tendencies.
• The influence of immigration on crime rates.
• Example: Exploring the link between immigration patterns and gang-related crimes.
• The role of situational factors in criminal decision-making.
• Example: Investigating the effects of situational pressures on white-collar crimes.
• The effectiveness of restorative justice practices in addressing criminal behavior.
• Example: Evaluating the success of victim-offender mediation programs.
• The impact of political corruption on criminal activity.
• Example: Analyzing how corrupt governments contribute to organized crime.
• The relationship between poverty and violent crime rates.
• Example: Exploring the correlation between income inequality and homicide rates.
• The influence of social support networks on criminal rehabilitation.
• Example: Investigating the role of family and friends in successful reintegration into society.
• The role of self-control in preventing criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing how impulsivity and lack of self-discipline contribute to criminal acts.
• The effectiveness of gun control policies in reducing violent crimes.
• Example: Evaluating the impact of stricter gun laws on homicide rates.
• The impact of racial profiling on criminal justice outcomes.
• Example: Investigating how racial bias affects arrest and sentencing decisions.
• The relationship between poverty and drug-related crimes.
• Example: Exploring the correlation between drug trafficking and socioeconomic status.
• The influence of social norms on criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing how societal expectations and peer pressure shape criminal choices.
• The role of technology in facilitating cybercrimes.
• Example: Investigating how hackers exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems.
• The effectiveness of eyewitness testimony in criminal investigations.
• Example: Evaluating the reliability of eyewitness accounts in court proceedings.
• The impact of incarceration on post-release criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the effects of prison conditions on recidivism rates.
• The relationship between childhood neglect and criminal involvement.
• Example: Exploring how parental neglect affects the development of criminal tendencies.
• The influence of political ideology on criminal justice policies.
• Example: Investigating how conservative or liberal approaches shape sentencing practices.
• The role of deterrence theory in preventing criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the effectiveness of harsh punishments in deterring potential offenders.
• The impact of racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
• Example: Evaluating how racial bias affects arrest rates, sentencing, and incarceration.
• The relationship between social media and cyberbullying.
• Example: Exploring the correlation between online harassment and suicidal ideation.
• The influence of religious extremism on terrorist activities.
• Example: Investigating how religious beliefs can be manipulated to justify acts of violence.
• The effectiveness of community-based programs in diverting youth from criminal behavior.
• Example: Evaluating the success of after-school programs in high-crime neighborhoods.
• The impact of gender stereotypes on sentencing outcomes.
• Example: Analyzing how societal expectations influence judges' decisions in gender-related cases.
• The role of criminal profiling in solving serial crimes.
• Example: Investigating how behavioral analysis helps identify and apprehend serial killers.
• The relationship between drug legalization and crime rates.
• Example: Exploring how decriminalizing certain substances affects drug-related offenses.
• The influence of social inequality on criminal justice outcomes.
• Example: Analyzing how wealth and social status affect sentencing disparities.
• The impact of media sensationalism on public perception of crime.
• Example: Evaluating how exaggerated crime reporting shapes public opinion and policy-making.
• The relationship between political instability and organized crime.
• Example: Investigating how criminal syndicates thrive in politically unstable regions.
• The role of forensic science in criminal investigations.
• Example: Analyzing how DNA analysis and fingerprinting contribute to solving crimes.
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation versus punishment in reducing recidivism.
• Example: Evaluating the success of restorative justice practices compared to traditional sentencing.
• The impact of domestic violence on child development and future criminal behavior.
• Example: Investigating how exposure to violence at home influences children's likelihood of becoming offenders.
• The relationship between mental health treatment availability and criminal behavior.
• Example: Exploring how limited access to psychiatric care contributes to criminal involvement.
• The influence of social disorganization on neighborhood crime rates.
• Example: Analyzing the effects of community deterioration and lack of social cohesion on criminal activity.
• The role of forensic psychology in criminal profiling.
• Example: Investigating how psychological assessments help create profiles of offenders.
• The impact of hate crimes on marginalized communities.
• Example: Evaluating the psychological and societal effects of hate-motivated attacks.
• The relationship between childhood trauma and substance abuse.
• Example: Exploring how adverse childhood experiences contribute to drug addiction.
• The influence of police brutality on public trust in law enforcement.
• Example: Analyzing how incidents of excessive use of force erode community-police relations.
• The role of criminological theories in understanding criminal behavior.
• Example: Investigating how strain theory explains the connection between socioeconomic disadvantage and crime.
• The impact of capital punishment on crime rates.
• Example: Evaluating the deterrent effect of the death penalty on murder rates.
• The relationship between mental health disorders and juvenile delinquency.
• Example: Exploring the correlation between ADHD and disruptive behavior in adolescents.
• The influence of pornography on sexual offenses.
• Example: Analyzing how exposure to explicit content affects attitudes and behaviors towards sex crimes.
• The role of forensic anthropology in identifying human remains in criminal investigations.
• Example: Investigating how skeletal analysis helps solve cold cases and missing persons cases.
• The impact of gang culture on youth involvement in criminal activities.
• Example: Evaluating how gang affiliation influences adolescents' risk-taking and delinquency.
• The relationship between animal cruelty and future violent crimes.
• Example: Exploring the connection between animal abuse and later acts of aggression against humans.
• The influence of social learning theory on criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing how exposure to criminal role models affects individuals' propensity for crime.
• The role of criminal justice policies in perpetuating racial disparities.
• Example: Investigating how mandatory minimum sentences contribute to disproportionate incarceration rates.
• The impact of white-collar crimes on the economy.
• Example: Evaluating the financial repercussions of corporate fraud and embezzlement.
• The relationship between criminal behavior and personality disorders.
• Example: Exploring how individuals with antisocial personality disorder engage in criminal acts.
• The influence of cultural values on honor killings.
• Example: Analyzing how cultural norms contribute to acts of violence against women in certain societies.
• The role of eyewitness misidentification in wrongful convictions.
• Example: Investigating how memory biases and lineup procedures lead to false identifications.
• The impact of criminal justice policies on minority communities.
• Example: Evaluating how racial profiling and biased policing affect trust and cooperation with law enforcement.
• The relationship between childhood exposure to violence and criminal behavior.
• Example: Exploring how witnessing domestic violence affects children's likelihood of becoming offenders.
• The influence of environmental factors on criminal behavior.
• Example: Analyzing the effects of neighborhood crime rates and physical surroundings on individuals' engagement in criminal activities.
• The role of forensic entomology in estimating the time of death in criminal investigations.
• Example: Investigating how insect colonization patterns help determine the postmortem interval.
• The impact of parental incarceration on children's involvement in crime.
• Example: Evaluating how parental imprisonment affects children's educational attainment and criminal behavior.
• The relationship between mental health treatment and reducing recidivism.
• Example: Exploring the effectiveness of mental health programs in preventing repeat offenses.
• The influence of socioeconomic status on criminal justice outcomes.
• Example: Analyzing how wealth and social privilege affect individuals' access to quality legal representation.
• The role of hate speech in inciting acts of violence.
• Example: Investigating how extremist rhetoric contributes to hate crimes and terrorist acts.
• The impact of criminal records on employment opportunities.
• Example: Evaluating how prior convictions affect individuals' chances of securing stable employment.
• The relationship between child abuse and future criminal behavior.
• Example: Exploring how physical and sexual abuse during childhood increases the risk of delinquency.
• The influence of mental health stigma on access to treatment for offenders.
• Example: Analyzing how societal attitudes towards mental disorders affect prisoners' access to psychiatric care.
• The role of criminal justice policies in reducing drug-related crimes.
• Example: Investigating the effectiveness of harm reduction strategies in addressing substance abuse.
• The impact of eyewitness confidence on juror decision-making.
• Example: Evaluating how a witness's perceived certainty affects the credibility of their testimony in court.
• The relationship between human trafficking and organized crime.
• Example: Exploring how criminal networks exploit vulnerable individuals for forced labor and sexual exploitation.
• The influence of political corruption on drug trafficking.
• Example: Analyzing how corrupt officials facilitate the movement and distribution of illicit substances.
• The role of criminal justice reform in reducing mass incarceration.
• Example: Investigating how alternative sentencing and diversion programs help alleviate prison overcrowding.
• The impact of police-community relations on crime prevention.
• Example: Evaluating how positive interactions between law enforcement and residents deter criminal activity.
• The relationship

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Law and Crime

What are the "causes" of crime, it's important to differentiate between cause and opportunity..

Posted March 16, 2022 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

• For decades, there has been a futile search for "root causes" of crime, citing nearly any adversity as causal to criminal conduct.
• There is a difference between an environmental cause and providing an "opportunity" for crime to occur.
• Critical to understanding criminal behavior are basic personality makeup and thinking patterns.

The perennial search continues to identify causes of criminal behavior. Nearly everything but the federal deficit has been identified as playing a causal role. The term “root cause” is still used to describe what are considered critical environmental factors. The earliest citation of a link between poverty (long considered a “root cause”) and crime has been attributed to Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius (121-180 A.D.) who stated, “Poverty is the mother of crime.” In some quarters, crime is even considered to be a normal and adaptive response to economic disadvantage.

Unanticipated setbacks and hardship have been regarded as critically important to “pushing over the edge” into crime people who have been law-abiding throughout their lives. A woman in jail told me that when her boyfriend deserted her and her baby, she had no money even to purchase diapers. Out of desperation, she started selling drugs (eventually to an undercover police officer). She asserted that she is not a “criminal,” but just wanted to care for her infant. One might wonder the following: What does her choice of boyfriend say about her? Why did she not seek help to receive financial assistance? What, if any, was her prior connection to drugs and how did she find her way into the drug market? As was the case with this woman, there is always more to the story about the person committing a crime versus resolving her dilemma in a more responsible way.

Hardship does not "cause" criminal behavior

Let’s take three recent examples in which a particular hardship has been seen as causing people to turn to crime.

According to a Wall Street Journal column of December 6, 2021, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic is “a root cause [of a surge in crime] in a lot of communities.” The Washington Post reported that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in “a growing subset of Americans who are stealing food.” A young woman explained to a reporter, “People are being forced to steal when they shouldn’t have to.” Another said, “I don’t feel too bad about taking $15 or $20 of stuff from Whole Foods when Jeff Bezos [owner of Whole Foods Market] is the richest man on earth.” The statements made by the two thieves clearly are after the fact justifications. One might wonder why one of them chose to shop at Whole Foods when it is one of the most expensive grocery chains. Next to this article was another that focused on a very different response to the pandemic— generosity by Black Americans despite their own hardships.

Millions of people have been struggling through the pandemic while suffering loss, illness, isolation, and financial pressures. There is no evidence that the pandemic has turned responsible people into criminals.

Recently, The Los Angeles Times (3/10/22) reported, “Concerns about gas thefts from cars rise as prices soar.” Citing a warning from the American Automobile Association, the Times stated, “There is a possibility that people are looking for crimes of opportunity [and] gasoline for their own vehicles.” Consequently, they are punching holes in gas tanks. However, most motorists are trying to become more economical and find ways to reduce gasoline consumption. Inflated prices do not “cause” criminal behavior.

Crime results from the way a person thinks

It is time to eliminate the term “root cause” because it turns out to be meaningless. Twelve years ago, a Christian Science Monitor article concluded with a simple statement, “The root cause of crime is the opportunity to commit it.” Opportunities present themselves, but only a small number of people exploit those opportunities in a criminal manner.

Making improvements to the environment can reduce opportunities for criminals to strike. However, such changes do not transform a criminal into a responsible person. Attributing criminal behavior to external circumstances perpetuates a deterministic view that ignores the role of choice and tends to absolve people of personal responsibility.

Crime results from the way a person thinks. One must look at the overall personality of the individual and his thinking patterns to understand the genesis of criminal behavior. Writing about juvenile crime in 1966, sociologist Robert MacIver stated, “To ask why delinquency occurs is like asking why human nature is what it is.”

Gerard Baker, "Biden Finds a Culprit for America's Crime Wave: Covid-19," The Wall Street Journal , 12/6/21

"More Americans are shoplifting among pandemic," The Washington Post, 12/13/20, p. G1

"While Black Americans have less, they give more," The Washington Post , 12/13/20, p. G1

"Concerns about gas theft from cars rise as prices soar," The Los Angeles Times , 3/10/22

Tim Worstall, "The root cause of crime? It's Simple," The Christian Science Monitor , 2/22/10

Robert M. McIver. The Prevention and Control of Delinquency , NY: Atherton Press, 1966, p. 41

Stanton Samenow, Ph.D. , an expert in criminal behavior, was the author of many books including Inside the Criminal Mind .

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Biological explanations of criminal behavior

Shichun ling.

a Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

Rebecca Umbach

b Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

c Behavioral Sciences Training in Drug Abuse Research, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York, NY, USA

Adrian Raine

d Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

There is a growing literature on biological explanations of antisocial and criminal behavior. This paper provides a selective review of three specific biological factors – psychophysiology (with the focus on blunted heart rate and skin conductance), brain mechanisms (with a focus on structural and functional aberrations of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and striatum), and genetics (with an emphasis on gene-environment and gene-gene interactions). Overall, understanding the role of biology in antisocial and criminal behavior may help increase the explanatory power of current research and theories, as well as inform policy and treatment options.

A growing body of literature has indicated the importance of considering neurobiological factors in the etiology of antisocial and criminal behavior. Behaviors, including criminality, are the result of complex, reciprocally influential interactions between an individual’s biology, psychology, and the social environment ( Focquaert, 2018 ). As research progresses, the misconception that biology can predetermine criminality is being rectified. Elucidating the biological underpinnings of criminal behavior and broader, related outcomes such as antisocial behavior can provide insights into relevant etiological mechanisms. This selective review discusses three biological factors that have been examined in relation to antisocial and criminal behavior: psychophysiology, brain, and genetics.

Psychophysiology, or the levels of arousal within individuals, has become an important biological explanation for antisocial and criminal behavior. Two common psychophysiological measures are heart rate and skin conductance (i.e. sweat rate). Both capture autonomic nervous system functioning; skin conductance reflects sympathetic nervous system functioning while heart rate reflects both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity. Blunted autonomic functioning has been associated with increased antisocial behavior, including violence ( Baker et al., 2009 ; Choy, Farrington, & Raine, 2015 ; Gao, Raine, Venables, Dawson, & Mednick, 2010 ; Portnoy & Farrington, 2015 ). Longitudinal studies have found low resting heart rate in adolescence to be associated with increased risk for criminality in adulthood ( Latvala, Kuja-Halkola, Almqvist, Larsson, & Lichtenstein, 2015 ; Raine, Venables, & Williams, 1990 ). However, there is likely a positive feedback loop whereby blunted autonomic functioning may lead to increased antisocial/criminal behavior, which in turn may reinforce disrupted physiological activity. For example, males and females who exhibited high rates of proactive aggression (an instrumental, predatory form of aggression elicited to obtain a goal or reward) in early adolescence were found to have poorer skin conductance fear conditioning in late adolescence ( Gao, Tuvblad, Schell, Baker, & Raine, 2015 ; Vitiello & Stoff, 1997 ).

Theories have been proposed to explain how blunted autonomic functioning could increase antisociality. The fearlessness hypothesis suggests that antisocial individuals, due to their blunted autonomic functioning, are not deterred from criminal behavior because they do not experience appropriate physiological responses to risky or stressful situations nor potential aversive consequences ( Portnoy et al., 2014 ; Raine, 2002 ). Alternatively, the sensation-seeking hypothesis suggests that blunted psychophysiology is an uncomfortable state of being, and in order to achieve homeostasis, individuals engage in antisocial behavior to raise their arousal levels ( Portnoy et al., 2014 ; Raine, 2002 ).

Another mechanism that could connect disrupted autonomic functioning to antisocial behavior is the failure to cognitively associate physiology responses with emotional states. Appropriately linking autonomic conditions to emotional states is important in socialization processes such as fear conditioning, which is thought to contribute to the development of a conscience. The somatic marker hypothesis ( Bechara & Damasio, 2005 ) suggests that ‘somatic markers’ (e.g. sweaty palms) may reflect emotional states (e.g. anxiety) that can inform decision-making processes. Impairments in autonomic functioning could lead to risky or inappropriate behavior if individuals are unable to experience or label somatic changes and connect them to relevant emotional experiences. Indeed, psychopathic individuals exhibit somatic aphasia (i.e. the inaccurate identification and recognition of one’s bodily state; Gao, Raine, & Schug, 2012 ). Moreover, blunted autonomic functioning impairs emotional intelligence, subsequently increasing psychopathic traits ( Ling, Raine, Gao, & Schug, 2018a ). Impaired autonomic functioning and reduced emotional intelligence may impede the treatment of psychopathy ( Polaschek & Skeem, 2018 ) and disrupt development of moral emotions such as shame, guilt, and empathy ( Eisenberg, 2000 ). Such moral dysfunction, a strong characteristic of psychopaths, may contribute to their disproportionate impact on the criminal justice system ( Kiehl & Hoffman, 2011 ).

While there is evidence that antisocial/criminal individuals typically exhibit abnormal psychophysiological functioning, it is important to acknowledge that there are different antisocial/criminal subtypes, and they may not share the same deficits. Whereas individuals who are high on proactive aggression may be more likely to exhibit blunted autonomic functioning, individuals who are high on reactive aggression (an affective form of aggression that is elicited as a response to perceived provocation) may be more likely to exhibit hyperactive autonomic functioning ( Hubbard, McAuliffe, Morrow, & Romano, 2010 ; Vitiello & Stoff, 1997 ). This may have implications for different types of offenders, with elevated autonomic functioning presenting in reactively aggressive individuals who engage in impulsive crimes and blunted autonomic functioning presenting in proactively aggressive offenders engaging in more premediated crimes. Similarly, psychopaths who are ‘unsuccessful’ (i.e. convicted criminal psychopaths) exhibit reduced heart rate during stress while those who are ‘successful’ (i.e. non-convicted criminal psychopaths) exhibit autonomic functioning similar to non-psychopathic controls ( Ishikawa, Raine, Lencz, Bihrle, & LaCasse, 2001 ). Despite differences among subgroups, dysfunctional autonomic functioning generally remains a reasonably well-replicated and robust correlate of antisocial and criminal behavior.

There has been increasing interest in the role of the brain in antisocial/criminal behavior. In general, research suggests that antisocial/criminal individuals tend to exhibit reduced brain volumes as well as impaired functioning and connectivity in key areas related to executive functions ( Alvarez & Emory, 2006 ; Meijers, Harte, Meynen, & Cuijpers, 2017 ; Morgan & Lilienfeld, 2000 ), emotion regulation ( Banks, Eddy, Angstadt, Nathan, & Phan, 2007 ; Eisenberg, 2000 ), decision-making ( Coutlee & Huettel, 2012 ; Yechiam et al., 2008 ), and morality ( Raine & Yang, 2006 ) while also exhibiting increased volumes and functional abnormalities in reward regions of the brain ( Glenn & Yang, 2012 ; Korponay et al., 2017 ). These prefrontal and subcortical regions that have been implicated in antisocial/criminal behavior are the selective focus of this review.

Conventional criminal behavior has typically been associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) structural aberrations and functional impairments ( Brower & Price, 2001 ; Yang & Raine, 2009 ). The PFC is considered the seat of higher-level cognitive processes such as decision-making, attention, emotion regulation, impulse control, and moral reasoning ( Sapolsky, 2004 ). In healthy adults, larger prefrontal structures have been associated with better executive functioning ( Yuan & Raz, 2014 ). However, structural deficits and functional impairments of the PFC have been observed in antisocial and criminal individuals, suggesting that PFC aberrations may underlie some of the observed behaviors.

While many studies on brain differences related to criminal behavior have consisted of correlational analyses, lesion studies have provided some insight into causal neural mechanisms of antisocial/criminal behavior. The most well-known example of the effects of prefrontal lobe lesions is the case of Phineas Gage, who was reported to have a dramatic personality change after an iron rod was shot through his skull and damaged his left and right prefrontal cortices ( Damasio, Grabowski, Frank, Galaburda, & Damasio, 1994 ; Harlow, 1848 , 1868 ). Empirical studies suggest that prefrontal lesions acquired earlier in life disrupt moral and social development ( Anderson, Bechara, Damasio, Tranel, & Damasio, 1999 ; Taber-Thomas et al., 2014 ). A study of 17 patients who developed criminal behavior following a brain lesion documented that while these lesions were in different locations, they were all connected functionally to regions activated by moral decisionmaking ( Darby, Horn, Cushman, & Fox, 2018 ), suggesting that disruption of a neuromoral network is associated with criminality. Nevertheless, while lesion studies have implicated specific brain regions in various psychological processes such as moral development, generalizability is limited because of the heterogeneity of lesion characteristics, as well as subjects’ characteristics that may moderate the behavioral effects of the lesion.

In recent years, non-invasive neural interventions such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial electric stimulation have been used to manipulate activity within the brain to provide more direct causal evidence of the functions of specific brain regions with regard to behavior. These techniques involve subthreshold modulation of neuronal resting membrane potential ( Nitsche & Paulus, 2000 ; Woods et al., 2016 ). Using transcranial electric stimulation, upregulation of the PFC has been found to decrease criminal intentions and increase perceptions of moral wrongfulness of aggressive acts ( Choy, Raine, & Hamilton, 2018 ), providing support for the causal influence of the PFC on criminal behavior.

Importantly, there is evidence of heterogeneity within criminal subgroups. Successful psychopaths and white-collar offenders do not seem to display these prefrontal deficits ( Raine et al., 2012 ; Yang et al., 2005 ). While unsuccessful psychopaths exhibit reduced PFC gray matter volume compared to successful psychopaths and non-offender controls, there are no prefrontal gray matter volume differences between successful psychopaths and non-offender controls ( Yang et al., 2005 ). Similarly, while prefrontal volume deficits have been found in conventional criminals (i.e. blue-collar offenders), white-collar offenders do not exhibit frontal lobe reductions ( Brower & Price, 2001 ; Ling et al., 2018b ; Raine et al., 2012 ) and in fact may exhibit increased executive functioning compared to blue-collar controls ( Raine et al., 2012 ). Lastly, antisocial offenders with psychopathy exhibited reduced gray matter volumes in the prefrontal and temporal poles compared to antisocial offenders without psychopathy and non-offenders ( Gregory et al., 2012 ). It is therefore important to acknowledge that there are various types of antisocial and criminal behavior that may have different neurobiological etiologies.

The amygdala is an important brain region that has been implicated in emotional processes such as recognition of facial and auditory expressions of emotion, especially for negative emotions such as fear ( Fine & Blair, 2000 ; Murphy, Nimmo-Smith, & Lawrence, 2003 ; Sergerie, Chochol, & Armony, 2008 ). Normative amygdala functioning has been thought to be key in the development of fear conditioning ( Knight, Smith, Cheng, Stein, & Helmstetter, 2004 ; LaBar, Gatenby, Gore, LeDoux, & Phelps, 1998 ; Maren, 2001 ), and appropriate integration of the amygdala and PFC has been argued to underlie the development of morality ( Blair, 2007 ). The amygdala is thought to be involved in stimulus-reinforcement learning that associates actions that harm others with the aversive reinforcement of the victims’ distress and in recognizing threat cues that typically deter individuals from risky behavior. However, amygdala maldevelopment can lead to a diminished ability to recognize distress or threat cues; disrupting the stimulus-reinforcement learning that discourages antisocial/criminal behavior ( Blair, 2007 ; Sterzer, 2010 ). Indeed, while reduced amygdala volume in adulthood has been associated with increased aggressive and psychopathic characteristics from childhood to early adulthood, it is also associated with increased risk for future antisocial and psychopathic behavior ( Pardini, Raine, Erickson, & Loeber, 2014 ).

Although the amygdala has been implicated in criminal behavior, there may be important differences between subtypes of offenders. Whereas psychopathic antisocial individuals may be more likely to exhibit cold, calculating forms of aggression, non-psychopathic antisocial individuals may be more likely to engage in impulsive, emotionally-reactive aggression ( Glenn & Raine, 2014 ). Research suggests the former may exhibit amygdala hypoactivity and the latter, amygdala hyperactivity ( Raine, 2018a ). Indeed, violent offenders have been found to exhibit increased amygdala reactivity in response to provocations ( da Cunha-Bang et al., 2017 ). Spousal abusers have also been found to exhibit increased amygdala activation when responding to aggressive words compared to nonabusers ( Lee, Chan, & Raine, 2008 ). In a community sample of healthy adults, psychopathy scores were negatively related to amygdala reactivity while antisocial personality disorder scores were positively associated with amygdala reactivity after adjusting for overlapping variance between psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder ( Hyde, Byrd, Votruba-Brzal, Hariri, & Manuck, 2014 ). Nevertheless, more research is needed to determine whether the presence of callous-unemotional traits (e.g. lack of guilt; Lozier, Cardinale, VanMeter, & Marsh, 2014 ; Viding et al., 2012 ) or severity of antisocial behavioral traits ( Dotterer, Hyde, Swartz, Hariri, & Williamson, 2017 ; Hyde et al., 2016 ) are most relevant to the observed amygdala hypo-reactivity.

The striatum has recently garnered more attention as a region that could be implicated in the etiology of criminal behavior because of its involvement in reward and emotional processing ( Davidson & Irwin, 1999 ; Glenn & Yang, 2012 ). Dysfunction in the striatum has been hypothesized to be a neural mechanism that underlies the impulsive/antisocial behavior of criminals. Indeed, individuals with higher impulsive/antisocial personality traits have been found to exhibit increased activity in the striatum ( Bjork, Chen, & Hommer, 2012 ; Buckholtz et al., 2010 ; Geurts et al., 2016 ). Psychopathic individuals, compared to non-psychopathic individuals, demonstrate a 9.6% increase in striatal volumes ( Glenn, Raine, Yaralian, & Yang, 2010 ). Moreover, striatal enlargement and abnormal functional connectivity of the striatum has specifically been associated with the impulsive/antisocial dimension of psychopathy ( Korponay et al., 2017 ), suggesting this dimension of psychopathy is related to reward processes ( Hare, 2017 ).

While much of the literature on striatal abnormalities in antisocial individuals has focused on psychopathic individuals, there is some evidence that offenders in general exhibit striatal abnormalities. Increased volume ( Schiffer et al., 2011 ) and increased reactivity to provocations ( da Cunha-Bang et al., 2017 ) have both been found in violent offenders as compared to non-offendersMoreover, weak cortico-striatal connectivity has been associated with increased frequency of criminal convictions ( Hosking et al., 2017 ). In contrast, one study found reduced striatal activity to be associated with antisocial behavior ( Murray, Shaw, Forbes, & Hyde, 2017 ). While more research is needed, current literature suggests that striatal deviations are linked to criminal behavior. One important consideration for future studies is to determine a consistent operationalization for the striatum, as some studies examine the dorsal striatum (i.e. putamen and caudate; Yang et al., 2015 ), others assess the corpus striatum (i.e. putamen, caudate, and globus pallidus; Glenn et al., 2010 ), and still others analyze the role of the ventral striatum (i.e. nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle; Glenn & Yang, 2012 ) in relation to antisocial/criminal behavior.

Abnormalities in brain regions other than the PFC, amygdala, and striatum are also associated with antisocial behavior. The neuromoral theory of antisocial behavior, first proposed by Raine and Yang (2006) , argued that the diverse brain regions impaired in offenders overlap significantly with brain regions involved in moral decision-making. A recent update of this theory ( Raine, 2018b ) argues that key areas implicated in both moral decision-making and the spectrum of antisocial behaviors include frontopolar, medial, and ventral PFC regions, and the anterior cingulate, amygdala, insula, superior temporal gyrus, and angular gyrus/temporoparietal junction. It was further hypothesized that different manifestations of antisocial behavior exist on a spectrum of neuromoral dysfunction, with primary psychopathy, proactive aggression, and life-course persistent offending being more affected, and secondary psychopathy, reactive aggression, and crimes involving drugs relatively less affected. Whether the striatum is part of the neural circuit involved in moral decision-making is currently unclear, making its inclusion in the neuromoral model debatable. Despite limitations, the neuromoral model provides a way of understanding how impairments to different brain regions can converge on one concept – impaired morality – that is a common core to many different forms of antisocial behaviors.

One implication of the model is that significant impairment to the neuromoral circuit could constitute diminished criminal responsibility. Given the importance of a fully developed emotional moral capacity for lawful behavior, moral responsibility would appear to require intactness of neuromoral circuity. To argue that the brain basis to moral thinking and feeling are compromised in an offender comes dangerously close to challenging moral responsibility, a concept which in itself may be just a short step removed from criminal responsibility.

There is increasing evidence fora genetic basis of antisocial/criminal behavior. Behavioral genetic studies of twins and adoptees have been advantageous because such designs can differentiate the effects of genetics and environment within the context of explaining variance within a population ( Glenn & Raine, 2014 ). Additionally, a variety of psychological and psychiatric constructs associated with antisociality/criminality, such as intelligence, personality, and mental health disorders, have been found to be heritable ( Baker, Bezdjian, & Raine, 2006 ). While individual study estimates vary, meta-analyses have suggested the level of heritability of antisocial behavior is approximately 40–60% ( Raine, 2013 ). Shared environmental factors have been estimated to explain approximately 11–14% of the variance in antisocial/criminal behavior and non-shared environmental influences approximately 31–37% ( Ferguson, 2010 ; Gard, Dotterer, & Hyde, 2019 ). However, the heritability of antisocial/criminal behaviors vary in part based upon the specific behaviors examined ( Burt, 2009 ; Gard et al., 2019 ).

Inspired by prominent theories of the neurobiology of aggression, there have been several candidate genes implicated in the serotonergic and catecholaminergic neurobiological systems that have been examined in relation to antisocial/criminal behavior ( Tiihonen et al., 2015 ). However, a meta-analysis of genetic variants related to antisocial/criminal behavior yielded null results at the 5% significance level ( Vassos, Collier, & Fazel, 2014 ). Nevertheless, genes do not operate in isolation, thus it is important to consider the context in which genes are activated.

Gene-environment (G x E) interactions have garnered increasing attention over the years, as these can increase risk for antisocial behavior and/or produce epigenetic changes within individuals. Longitudinal studies and meta-analyses have documented the moderating effect of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene on the relationship between maltreatment and antisocial behaviors, with the maltreatment-antisocial behavior relationship being stronger for individuals with low MAOA than high MAOA ( Byrd & Manuck, 2014 ; Caspi et al., 2002 ; Fergusson, Boden, & Horwood, 2011 ; Kim-Cohen et al.,2006 ). Similarly, in a large study of African-American females, having the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene or a criminal father did not individually predict antisocial outcomes, but having both factors increased risk for serious delinquency, violent delinquency, and police contacts ( Delisi, Beaver, Vaughn, & Wright, 2009 ). This type of G x E interaction reflects how genotypes can influence individuals’ sensitivity to environmental stressors. However, there may be important subgroup differences to consider when examining genetic risk for criminal behavior. For example, low-MAOA has been associated with higher risk for violent crime in incarcerated Caucasian offenders but not incarcerated non-Caucasian offenders ( Stetler et al., 2014 ). Additionally, high-MAOA may protect abused and neglected Caucasians from increased risk of becoming violent or antisocial, but this buffering effect was not found for abused and neglected non-Caucasians ( Widom & Brzustowicz, 2006 ). Thus, while the MAOA gene has been associated with antisocial/criminal behavior, there are still nuances of this relationship that should be considered ( Goldman & Rosser, 2014 ).

Another way in which G x E interactions manifest themselves is when environmental stressors result in epigenetic changes, thus becoming embedded in biology that result in long-term symptomatic consequences. For example, females exposed to childhood sex abuse have exhibited alterations in the methylation of the 5HTT promoter region, which in turn has been linked to subsequent antisocial personality disorder symptoms ( Beach, Brody, Todorov, Gunter, & Philibert, 2011 ). There has been a growing body of work on such epigenetic mechanisms involved in the biological embedding of early life stressors and transgenerational trauma ( Kellermann, 2013 ; Provencal & Binder, 2015 ). Thus, just as biological mechanisms can influence environmental responses, environmental stressors can affect biological expressions.

While genes may interact with the environment to produce antisocial/criminal outcomes, they can also interact with other genes. There is evidence that dopamine genes DRD2 and DRD4 may interact to increase criminogenic risk ( Beaver et al., 2007 ; Boutwell et al., 2014 ). The effect of the 7-repeat allele DRD4 is strengthened in the presence of the A1 allele of DRD2, and has been associated with increased odds of committing major theft, burglary, gang fighting, and conduct disorder ( Beaver et al., 2007 ; Boutwell et al., 2014 ). However, there is some evidence that DRD2 and DRD4 do not significantly affect delinquency abstention for females ( Boutwell & Beaver, 2008 ). Thus there may be demographic differences that moderate the effect of genetic interactions on various antisocial outcomes ( Dick, Adkins, & Kuo, 2016 ; Ficks & Waldman, 2014 ; Rhee & Waldman, 2002 ; Salvatore & Dick, 2018 ), and such differences warrant further research.

Importantly, biological correlates of antisocial and criminal behavior are inextricably linked in dynamical systems, in which certain processes influence others through feedback loops. While a detailed summary is beyond the scope of this review, some interactions between biological mechanisms are briefly illustrated here. Within the brain, the PFC and amygdala have reciprocal connections, with the PFC often conceptualized as monitoring and regulating amygdala activity ( Gillespie, Brzozowski, & Mitchell, 2018 ). Disruption of PFC-amygdala connectivity has been linked to increased antisocial/criminal behavior, typically thought to be due to the impaired top-down regulation of amygdala functioning by the PFC. Similarly, the brain and autonomic functioning are linked ( Critchley, 2005 ; Wager et al., 2009 ); output from the brain can generate changes in autonomic functioning by affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, but autonomic functions also provide input to the brain that is essential for influencing behavioral judgments and maintaining coordinated regulation of bodily functions ( Critchley, 2005 ). While not comprehensive, these examples illustrate that biological systems work together to produce behavior.

While biological processes can contribute to antisocial/criminal behavior, these do not guarantee negative outcomes. Considering that many of the aforementioned biological risk factors are significantly influenced by social environment, interventions in multiple spheres may help mitigate biological risks for antisocial behavior.

With regard to psychophysiological correlates of antisocial behavior, research suggests differential profiles of arousal impairment depending on the type of antisocial behavior ( Hubbard et al., 2010 ; Vitiello & Stoff, 1997 ). Treatments designed to address the issues associated with psychophysiological differences are typically behavioral in nature, targeted at associated symptoms. Studies of mindfulness have suggested its utility in improving autonomic functioning ( Delgado-Pastor, Perakakis, Subramanya, Telles, & Vila, 2013 ) and emotion regulation ( Umbach, Raine, & Leonard, 2018 ), which may better help individuals with reactive aggression and hyperarousal. Hypo-arousal has been associated with impaired emotional intelligence ( Ling et al., 2018a ), but emotional intelligence training programs have shown some promise in reducing aggression and increasing empathy among adolescents and increasing emotional intelligence among adults ( Castillo, Salguero, Fernandez-Berrocal, & Balluerka, 2013 ; Hodzic, Scharfen, Ropoll, Holling, & Zenasni, 2018 ), and in reducing recidivism ( Megreya, 2015 ; Sharma, Prakash, Sengar, Chaudhury, & Singh, 2015 ).

Regarding healthy neurodevelopment, research has supported a number of areas to target. Poor nutrition, both in utero and in early childhood, have been associated with negative and criminal outcomes ( Neugebauer, Hoek, & Susser, 1999 ). Deficits of omega-3 fatty acids have been linked with impaired neurocognition and externalizing behavior ( Liu & Raine, 2006 ; McNamara & Carlson, 2006 ). The opposite relationship is also supported; increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with a variety of positive physical and mental health outcomes ( Ruxton, Reed, Simpson, & Millington, 2004 ), increased brain volume in regions related to memory and emotion regulation ( Conklin et al.,2007 ), and reduction in behavioral problems in children ( Raine, Portnoy, Liu, Mahoomed, & Hibbeln, 2015 ). Studies examining the effect of nutritional supplements have suggested that reducing the amount of sugar consumed by offenders can significantly reduce offending during incarceration ( Gesch, Hammond, Hampson, Eves, & Crowder, 2002 ; Schoenthaler, 1983 ). Thus, nutritional programs show some promise in reducing antisocial and criminal behavior.

A healthy social environment is also crucial for normative brain development and function. Early adversity and childhood maltreatment have been identified as significant risk factors for both neurobiological and behavioral problems ( Mehta et al., 2009 ; Teicher et al., 2003 ; Tottenham et al., 2011 ). A review of maltreatment prevention programs supports the efficacy of nurse-family partnerships and programs that integrate early preschool with parent resources in reducing childhood maltreatment ( Reynolds, Mathieson, & Topitzes, 2009 ). Promoting healthy brain development in utero and in crucial neurodevelopmental periods is likely to reduce externalizing behaviors, as well as other psychopathology.

Knowing that the social context could help to buffer biological risks is promising because it suggests that changing an individual’s environment could mitigate biological criminogenic risk. Rather than providing a reductionist and deterministic perspective of the etiology of criminal behavior, incorporating biological factors in explanations of antisocial/criminal behaviors can highlight the plasticity of the human genome ( Walsh & Yun, 2014 ). They can also provide a more holistic understanding of the etiologies of such behavior. For example, sex differences in heart rate have been found to partially explain the gender gap in crime ( Choy, Raine, Venables, & Farrington, 2017 ). Social interventions that aim to provide an enriched environment can be beneficial for all, but may be particularly important for individuals at higher biological risk for antisocial behavior. While biological explanations of antisocial and criminal behavior are growing, they are best thought of as complementary to current research and theories, and a potential new avenue to target with treatment options.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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Major Criminology Theories and How They Affect Policy

Learn how kent state university’s online master of arts in criminology and criminal justice can equip you to make a difference in the world..

What is criminal behavior, and what causes it? How a society answers these fundamental questions plays an essential role in how it responds to crime, from developing crime prevention programs to designing incarceration systems and rehabilitating criminals. As part of this effort, criminologists and experts across related fields such as healthcare, sociology and psychology work toward an understanding of the causes of criminal behavior, both by proposing new theories and testing existing ones.

Each of the following theories has evolved with the advent of more sophisticated technology and the current trend toward examining criminal behavior, and they’ve also been impacted—albeit at a slower pace—by changes in public policy.

Rational Choice Theory: Tough on Crime

The U.S. justice system is largely influenced by a classical criminology theory, rational choice theory, which assumes that the choice to commit a crime arises out of a logical judgment of cost versus reward. This theory emphasizes punishment as the best means to deter individuals from committing crimes: Make the cost sufficiently outweigh the reward and individuals will decide that crime is not worth it. 1

On one hand, this seems reasonable, almost obvious. But a number of factors complicate such a simplistic understanding of crime and human nature: 2

• Adolescents have immature brains that cannot fully comprehend consequences
• Humans are generally influenced more by their emotions than cold logic
• Individuals who commit crimes often lack information or the perspective to make a sound judgment

In other words, the historical understanding of rational choice assumes a totally rational actor, but humans are never totally rational. Additionally, contemporary theorists suggest that the individuals who would be “scared straight” by punishment are already disinclined to commit crimes. Contemporary criminologists believe that policies based on rational choice theory should have more modest, specific targets and focuses. But while rational choice theory has evolved on the academic side, policy crafted according to its dictates has lagged behind. Examples of policies related to outdated interpretations of rational choice theory include:

• Three-strikes laws
• Extreme “tough on crime” punishments
• Placing juvenile offenders in adult facilities

Biological and Biosocial Theories: Addressing Root Causes

Classical biological theories of criminality stated that people are “born criminals” who cannot be deterred from committing crimes: Whether due to mental or physical disability, criminals cannot learn to control themselves.

In contrast, contemporary biological theories emphasize biosocial causes rather than strictly natural ones.

Some modern criminologists do consider genetic predispositions (including testosterone and IQ levels), but they look at the interplay between these factors and a person’s social environment rather than focusing on seemingly immutable traits. By foregrounding social factors, these criminologists theorize, we can mitigate risks of criminal behavior prompted by biological factors. 3

Policies based in this theory often start at the root of the problem—for example:

• Educating parents-to-be in high-risk categories (such as single parents, teenagers and low-income individuals) to avoid circumstances that might impede healthy child development
• Teaching children conflict resolution alternatives to violence in programs such as Second Step

Social Learning Theory: Learning by Example

Social learning theory proposes that we engage in either criminal or noncriminal behavior based on the social environment around us, and that we’re especially influenced by how other people reward or model behavior. This theory asserts that criminal behaviors are learned and therefore can be counteracted by developing a social environment in which criminal behavior is not normalized. 4

This theory is most frequently used as the basis for supportive, less punitive programs that serve juveniles, such as:

• The School Transitional Environment Program, which helps students entering middle school connect with schools, classmates and teachers who model more positive behavior than they encountered in their previous environments
• Communities That Care, which takes a preventative approach inspired by public health outreach, bringing a community together to support at-risk juveniles
• Teens, Crime and the Community and Community Works (TCC/CW), a multifaceted program that offers classroom curricula on topics such as conflict resolution, drugs and gun violence; this program uses positive role models such as teachers and police officers to deliver classes and puts these lessons to work through projects in the community

Labeling Theory: Once a Criminal, Always a Criminal

Labeling theory proposes that applying a label, whether that means informally designating a youth as a “bad kid” or a “troublemaker” or a more formal arrest or incarceration record, has a long-term effect on a given person. Policies inspired by labeling theory were popular in the 1970s, but they were perceived as ineffective and fell out of use, replaced by “tough on crime” rational choice approaches.

Contemporary research has shown evidence of the profound impact that labeling can have on individuals, as formal labeling has been shown to have a measurable effect on juveniles’ future education and employment opportunities—repercussions that can lead to continued criminal behavior. 5

Policies inspired by labeling theory thus focus on reducing negative repercussions of prior labels and providing opportunities for new growth. Examples include:

• “Ban the box” policies, which forbid employers from asking applicants about their criminal backgrounds, which evidence indicates reduces recidivism
• Wisconsin’s Inviting Convicts to College program and similar programs that prepare individuals with criminal pasts to succeed in college
• Civil citation laws, which provide a less stigmatizing alternative to formal arrests and the court system

Contributing to Criminal Justice

Through these and other criminology theories, experts in many related fields , such as psychology, law enforcement and public administration, collaborate to create a safer, more just society. Whether you currently work as a criminal justice professional or are looking to enter the field, learn how Kent State University’s online Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice can equip you to make a difference in the world through research, corrections, security and policy.

• Retrieved on June 4, 2018, from researchgate.net/publication/229474619_Rational_choice_theory_crime_control_policy_and_criminological_relevance
• Retrieved on June 4, 2018, from scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6670&context=jclc
• Retrieved on June 4, 2018, from researchgate.net/publication/261595842_Policy_Implications_of_Biosocial_Criminology_Crime_Prevention_and_Offender_Rehabilitation
• Retrieved on June 4, 2018, from pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d036/149dad697619767bedb6af697a669cae928d.pdf
• Retrieved on June 4, 2018, from researchgate.net/publication/319256250_Policy_Implications_of_Contemporary_Labeling_Theory_Research

PSYCH 424 blog

What causes criminal behavior.

When we think about criminal behavior often times we think about why would someone does such a thing. There can be many different reasons as to why someone commits criminal behavior. Some of the “why’s” are biological, psychological, and environmental. All of these things can majorly affect how one thinks, feels, and acts. In this blog, I will talk about your brain’s chemical makeup, childhood experiences, and abusive households. All things that we should look at when studying criminal behavior. However, none of these factors are valid reasons for criminal behavior.

In 2018, the FBI reported an estimated 1.2 million violent crimes and about 7 million property crimes (Walden University). The chemical makeup in our brains is something we can’t choose. There are many people that would say oh they are just born that way and in some cases that’s true. You can’t choose the way your brain functions and your thoughts what you can control though is your actions. Some things that are affected by your brain’s chemical makeup are autonomic arousal, neurobiology, and neuroendocrine functioning (Walden University). Your brain’s chemical makeup seems to be a factor of criminal behavior that many people forget about. Now by all means I am not saying that this justifies their actions because it does not it is just something that we should look into more. I would love to see someone study a criminal’s brain.

Your childhood experiences can also be something that affects criminal behavior. Just like we don’t choose our chemical makeup we can not choose our parents or how we are raised. There are some children that live in abusive households where they don’t know if they are going to go a day without being emotionally, physically, or sexually abused. This can cause children to act out and turn to violent crimes. It can also cause them to turn to alcohol and drugs to cope with the abuse they have encountered. This affects their brains, it affects their thoughts and feelings. It will also cause them to irrationally think. A high-crime neighborhood usually comes into play here as well. When children are around violent crime and substance abuse 9 times out of 10 they are going to grow up to do the same.

Why people commit violent crimes is always something that has interested me because not everyone is the same so they will all have a different “why”. There will be many people that don’t want to bring up chemical brain makeup because we want to believe that people can control their own thoughts, feelings, and actions. I believe that is something important to think about when studying criminal behavior. The social environment is also very important because I child can only follow the adults that they’ve grown up around as well as the environment that they know.

Walden University. (2021, March 25). What-influences-criminal-behavior . Walden University. Retrieved October 14, 2021, from https://www.waldenu.edu/online-bachelors-programs/bs-in-criminal-justice/resource/what-influences-criminal-behavior.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 14th, 2021 at 9:39 am and is filed under Uncategorized . You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment , or trackback from your own site.

There are many factors behind criminal behavior. I agree with your blog about brain chemistry, childhood experiences and abusive families. We have to admit that these factors greatly influence whether people commit crimes or not. Generally speaking, there are three factors that affect people’s criminal behavior: people’s own factors, the influence of social background, and the specific environment of the criminal behavior. I think if these three points can well summarize why people commit crimes and the reasons that may induce criminal behaviors. These three factors can also be explained by three different theories. In the book, these three factors correspond to biological theory, sociological theory, and social psychological theory. Biological theory generally holds that criminal behavior is the result of genetics, psychophysiology, neurological function, and biochemistry; Sociological theories try to explain the relationship between crime and various social factors, such as social class, poverty and social inequality; Social psychological theory tends to consider both personality and situational factors (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2017,p.291-292). Obviously, no single theory is sufficient to support the emergence of criminal acts. The emergence of a criminal act must be the result of a mixture of many complicated factors. There will be more and more factors to consider in future studies of criminal motives.

Reference Gruman, J.A., Schneider, F.W., and Coutts, L.A. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The reasonings behind criminal behavior can easily be ignored, so I agree that it is important to discuss the biological, psychological, and environmental factors that reside in people. A lot of these factors can be based on genetics, or they can be learned from observation. “Social learning theory (SLT) is a leading explanation of criminal behavior which maintains that crime is learned and more likely to occur when individuals differentially associate with people who are criminally involved, experience greater exposure to delinquent models, anticipate or actually receive more rewards and fewer punishments for crime, and have greater number of definitions favorable to crime” (Social Learning theory par 1). A lot of people simply take negative actions because someone else did, which is why criminal activity rates are high. As a society, we should all do our part and make good decisions to protect ourselves and the people surrounding us.

Reference: Social Learning theory. Social Learning Theory – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/social-learning-theory .

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Home / Essay Samples / Crime / Criminal Behavior

Criminal Behavior Essay Examples

Analyzing crime: uncovering the root causes.

What are the key factors that could be considered as causes of crime on the University of Sussex campus? In causes of crime essay the answer will be revealed by the author as much as possible. Research has shown that minor offenses such as alcohol...

Unraveling the Root Causes of Criminal Behavior

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Arguments on the Moral and Social Implication of Stealing

Stealing is a serious offense that can have significant consequences. The stealing essay will explore the moral and social implications of theft and why it is considered a serious offense. One example of stealing occurred in a local retail store where a teenager was caught...

Analysis of the Crime of Homicide Through Criminological Theories

The crime homicide, specifically the category of murder, has been at the forefront of criminological studies for centuries. Identity implications for responding to the crime, and why the crime is committed will be explained through criminological theories from a theoretical perspective within this essay. In...

Beverley Allitt as a Serial Killers

Most serial killers have one thing in common, their actions reflect troubles from their past. Traumatic experiences in someone’s childhood can lead to mental disorders which affect their actions. A person is considered a serial killer after they kill at least three or more people,...

Analysis of Antisocial Logic Leading to Crime

Subjection to viciousness prompts alterations in the neurological structures which resultantly increase the possibility of commitment in crimes and development of antisocial behavior. Many analysts have speculated that brutal offenders have dearth of self-control, social connectedness, and they have low self-esteem. Antisocial Personality Disorder is...

Applying Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory to Juvenile Crime

Can juveniles learn to commit crimes, specifically shoplifting or theft? Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory explains crime is learned through social processing. Sutherland’s nine propositions disassemble the process of learning crime through social interactions, and to understand that crime is learned how we, as humans,...

Bernie Madoff: Unethical Behavior

Bernie was an interesting choice in part because it seemed when reading more and more about him, he just never really cared or had any regard for his actions. The many lives he would forever change and how we would ultimately view the understanding of...

The Urgent Problem of the Level of Knife Crime in London

London police are struggling to cope with the skyrocketing numbers of knife crime with 30-plus deaths this year, and a record breaking number of 135 deaths by stabbings in 2018. On February 19th, three teenagers were stabbed to death, the youngest being Jayden Moodie; only...

Ned Kelly – the Australian Villain

Edward “Ned” Kelly is a well-known and popular individual in Australian history. Many people have their own opinions about this famous individual. Some people think of him as a hero, while others think he is a brutal killer. For others, he may appear as a...

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