1 Book Cover Here Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Chapter #3 Theories of Crime and Criminal Behavior and Their Implications for Security Security Supervision and Management Theory and Practice of Asset Protection, 4th Edition

2 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Criminological Theories Criminological theories offer social factors, biological factors, and psychological factors that can encourage or prevent involvement in crime.

3 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Criminological Theories A criminological theory will explain motivation, lack of controls/constraints, opportunity, and ability.

4 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Classical and Neo-Classical Theories General deterrence Rational choice perspective Routine activity

5 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Positivist Theories Focus more on why some people are more prone to criminality than others. Current theories focus on various social factors that affect one’s willingness to commit crime, but biology and psychology are also present.

6 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Positivist Theories – Social Disorganization Collective efficacy (Sampson) Zones of transition in inner-city areas Theory posits that residents of inner- cities don’t get to know their neighbors. Combined with other factors, theory explains the higher crime rates in certain areas of cities.

7 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Positivist Theories – Social Learning Theories Differential association A person becomes criminal when the majority of the ideas to which they are exposed are pro-crime.

8 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Positivist Theories – Techniques of Neutralization Also known as drift theory Techniques of neutralization are ways for offenders to rationalize their actions and essentially create an exception specifically tailored for their own actions.

9 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Positivist Theories – Strain Theories Most people are conformists Strain is a disjunction between their goals and means Response to strain: innovate ritualize retreat rebel

10 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Positivist Theories – Control Theories Theory of social bonding suggests four social factors that prevent delinquency Attachment Commitment Involvement Belief

11 Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved Criminological Theories A theory is generally considered a success if it can explain 10 to 20 percent of the variation in crime Each theory only explains a small portion of crime