Criminology is the study of criminal behavior as a personal and societal phenomenon. A criminologist may study blue collar crime, organized crime, corporate crime, political crime, or white collar crime, depending on his field of study. People with criminology degrees are also interested in juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, and vigilantism.
Social structure theories, individual theories, and symbolic interactionism theories are the three broad categories of criminology research theories. A criminal act is defined as behavior that violates a governmental law or a widely held societal belief in these areas. This is referred to as a “consensus” viewpoint on crime.
Crime is often attributed to societal problems in social structure theories of criminology research. They frequently link rising crime rates to rising poverty and deterioration in the surrounding community. Strain theory, also known as social class theory, is a social structure theory that states that crime occurs when people are unable to achieve the American Dream of prosperity through legal means due to unequal access to opportunities such as higher education and jobs that pay a living wage.
Individual theories essentially blame criminal behavior on individual flaws. One common example of individual theories in criminology research is the social bond or social control theory, which states that people commit crimes when they lack belief in the moral validity of rules, commitment to achievement, strong attachment to others, and participation in traditional activities. Individual criminology theories do not assert that there is a gene for criminal behavior, but they do look into the link between childhood brutalization or witnessing criminal acts and subsequent deviant behavior. Individual theories hope to explain how criminal behavior is passed down through families from generation to generation in this way.
Interactionist symbolism The complex relationship between more powerful and less powerful groups within society, according to criminology research theories, is the root of crime. In the case of juvenile delinquency, for example, it has been discovered that children who have been labeled as troublemakers by teachers, counselors, and other people in positions of authority act out at higher rates. They essentially make their label a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Criminology research incorporates elements of theoretical perspectives such as psychoanalysis, Marxism, systems theory, and postmodernism as an interdisciplinary branch of the behavioral sciences. The classic nature vs. nurture debate is also a big part of the field’s research. Although it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the exact cause of crime, criminology research is useful in that it can aid in the development of public policies aimed at fostering a more lawful society.