Compare and contrast the Psychological and Sociological theories of the causation of crime. Which of the two, if any, in your opinion is a valid theory on the causes of crime? Support your views with facts and data
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Review both the theories on psychological and sociological causes of crime. Theories of the Psychological School of crime causation make certain fundamental assumptions. Among them are these:
• The individual is the primary unit of analysis.
• Personality is the major motivational element within individuals, as it is the source of drives and motives.
• Crimes result from inappropriately conditioned behavior or from abnormal, dysfunctional, or inappropriate mental processes within the personality.
• Defective or abnormal mental processes may have a variety of causes, including a diseased mind and inappropriate learning or improper conditioning—often occurring in early childhood.
Sociological perspectives on crime causation are quite diverse. Most, however, build on certain fundamental assumptions. Among them are these:
• Social groups, social institutions, the arrangements of society, and social roles all provide the proper focus for criminological study.
• Group dynamics, group organization, and subgroup relationships form the causal nexus out of which crime develops.
• The structure of society and the relative degree of social organization or social disorganizationare important factors contributing to the prevalence of criminal behavior.
All sociological perspectives on crime share the foregoing characteristics, but particular theories may give greater or lesser weight to the following aspects of social life:
• The clash of norms and values among variously socialized groups
• Socialization and the process of association between individuals
• The existence of subcultures and varying types of opportunities
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