Theories on Crime

3242 Words13 Pages
The
Psychology
of
Criminal
Behavior:
 
 Theories
from
Past
to
Present
 
 Arista
B.
Dechant
 
 Fort
Hays
State
University,
Kansas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Table
of
Contents
 
 Personal
Relevance
Preface………………………………………………………………………….page
3
 
 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………….………………….page
4
 
 History
of
Criminal
Behavior…………………………………………………………………..…….page
5
 

 Rational
Choice
Theory……………………………………..………………………………………….page
6
 
 Eysenck’s
Theory
of
Personality
and
Crime……………………………………………..…..page
6
 
 Trait
Theory………………………………………………………………………………………………….page
9
 
 Psychodynamic
Trait
Theory…………………………………………………………………………page
10
 
 Social
Structure
Theory…………………………………………………………………………………page
11
 
 Social
Process
Theory……………………………………………………………………………………page
12
 
 Social
Conflict
Theory……………………………………………………………………………………page
13
 
 Conclusion………………………..………………………………………………………………………….page
13
 
 References……………………………………………………………………………………………….…..page
15
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Personal
Relevance
Preface
 
 I
have
been
involved
in
extensive
research
since
undergraduate
school
surrounding
 criminals
and
how
they
operate.
There
are
many
ideas
surrounding
the
cause
of
antisocial
 behavior
and
criminality.
Through
this
independent
study
class
for
Fort
Hays
State
University’s
 Justice
Studies
(Graduate)
Program,
I
felt
I
would
have
the
perfect
opportunity
to
explore
many
 of
theories
which
have
developed,
over
time,
to
explain
criminal
behavior.

 
 It
is
my
hope
that
this
research
paper
will
provide
an
extensive
and
educational
look
at
 how
the
psychology
of
a
criminal
impacts
the
activity
which
is
produced.
It
seems
that
every
 year
brings
new
ideas,
but
I
feel
that
the
following
is
a
conclusive
look
of
research
compiled
 from
the
beginning
of
criminality
to
the
present.

 
 I
have
also
provided
a
history
of
criminality
and
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