Page 132 - Grasp English C1 (Student Book)

10 Lawbreakıng

Criminology emerged as an academic disciple in the mid–18th century, as philosophers began to consider
why people commit a crime. Over time, three main schools of thought have developed addressing this issue.
The Classical School of thought, which arose at that time, believed that people acted according to their own
free will. It argues that people are essentially hedonists who seek pleasure and avoid pain, but they weigh the
costs and benefits of hedonistic actions rationally and that punishment, if sufficiently severe, will deter people
from committing crimes if the repercussions outweigh the benefits. Deterrents are effective, it argues, if they are
swift, certain and in proportion to the crime.
The Classical School, however, assumed that people act rationally and
consciously. The Positivist School disagreed with this assumption, arguing
that criminal behaviour stems from factors beyond the individual’s control for
a variety of reasons. One such reason, it was suggested, was that criminals
are innately predisposed to commit crimes. This might be due to biological
reasons, such as “chemical imbalances” in the brain or DNA. There is some,
limited truth in this theory, as some men are born with an extra X chromosome
which results in aggressive tendencies and a higher likelihood of criminal
behaviour. However, attempts by Cesare Lombroso in the late 19th century
to prove that facial features, such as certain hairlines and cheekbones,
led to criminal tendencies failed. Another view brought in a psychological
perspective. This view recognised that external factors, such as abusive
parents, abusive relationships and drug problems, affected mental health and
could lead individuals to commit crimes. A third, social perspective, purported
that societal factors, such as low-income levels, high unemployment rates and
poor education, heavily influenced crime levels. Research in this area found
uneven wealth distribution, population density and alcohol consumption as
just some of those influential factors.

The Chicago School of thought arose in the early twentieth century around
studies of city zoning. Like the social-positivist perspective, this theory believed
that criminal behaviour emerged from social factors, but took the stance that
criminals should not be blamed for their behaviour, as they were behaving
appropriately according to their societies’ norms and values. Theorists
suggested that the population characteristics of inner-city zones, such as
poverty, immigration and high population turnover, encouraged gang
membership. This, in-turn, led youngsters to admire and imitate the older, more
experienced and successful criminals with whom they associated. Moreover,
as society pressured people to buy into the “American Dream” of prosperity
and opportunity, those who were far from realising this ideal by legitimate
means turned to criminal means to achieve the desired measures of success.

Ideas of why criminal behaviour exists are complex and will vary according to
each criminal and crime. Clearly, it is a much more complicated matter than
the classical thinkers perceived.

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