Essay on Sociological Theory of Criminal Behaviour !
This theory pre-supposes that criminals are a product of society. The impact of sociological factors is so great on persons that they either shun criminality or embrace it, depending on their environment and immediate social conditions. Prof. Sutherland made an intensive study of criminals and offered two major explanations for criminal behaviour, namely:—
(i) The processes operating at the time of the occurrence of crime which he called the dynamic explanation of crime; and
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(ii) The processes operating in the earlier life-history of the criminal which he termed as the historical or generic explanation of crime.
The dynamic explanation of crime causation was subsequently favoured by the psychologists, biologists and psychiatrists and in fact formed the basis for subjective approach to crime. It suggests that the cause of criminal behaviour lies in the immediate favourable situation which the criminal finds conducive for the criminal act.
For example, offence of embezzlement or misappropriation of the public funds can only be committed by persons who handle large sums of money. Likewise, the offence of that is often committed in lonely houses which the criminals find locked or unmanned for a number of days. Again, sex offences are common in dwellings where the number of family members are limited and opportunities for privacy and loneliness are easily available.
It is true that personal situations of the criminal do play a vital role in the causation of crime yet these ‘situations’ alone can hardly be sufficient to motivate a person to commit crime if his previous life experiences are otherwise different. Therefore, a crime usually generates when a person from his past experiences considers a particular situation conducive to it.
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As regards the historical or generic explanation of criminal behaviour, Sutherland drew the following conclusions:
(1) Criminal behaviour is learnt and not inherited.
(2) The process of learning criminal behaviour operates through inter-action of the criminal with other persons and his association with them.
(3) The greatest influence on the individual is that of his intimate personal group which moulds his conduct in many ways.
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(4) Criminality in human society can best be explained through Sutherland’s principle of Differential Association which presupposes that there are criminal as well as non-criminal associations and these two forces are constantly counteracting. The criminal behaviour results in when the circumstances favourable to violations of law outweigh those which are unfavourable to law-breaking.
(5) The association with regard to criminal behaviour and anti-criminal behaviour may vary in respect of its duration, priority or intensity.
(6) Some criminologists have attempted to explain criminal behaviour in terms of economic needs, acquisitive tendencies of men and urge for gaining social status and seeking pleasure in life. But this argument is untenable inasmuch as it equally applies to lawful behaviours as well. Thus, theft may be committed by a person for monetary gains but similar results are achieved by earning wages honestly through hard labour.