Psychological Theories in Criminology
The psychological theory is the most efficient in explaining criminological activities as it relates an individual’s mental and emotional status to the criminal activity. A significant theorist who developed the psychological theories is Sigmund Freud in an attempt to describe the causes of abnormal human behaviors. According to research carried out by Sigmund Freund, human behavior is substantially affected by the childhood experiences. Individuals who grew up in societies full of evil deeds and crime are more likely to engage in criminal activities than those who grew up in serene environments void of crime and social evils. Within the psychological theory of criminology are three other theories which relate crime and the emotional component of the criminal namely; psychodynamic, behavioral and cognitive theories (Hagan, 2010).
Summary of the theory
The psychodynamic dimension of the psychological theory developed by Freud asserts that the mind of a human being has three major tasks. The first one is the conscious section which regulates the daily thoughts of the mind such that actions that are done when the individual is fully aware of the consequences are controlled by this part. The second section is the preconscious which controls memories and experiences such that revengeful activities are determined by the degree of arousal of this part. Lastly there is the unconscious part that controls the physiological desires of the body which are present from birth hence they are part of the human mind. A disorder in this combination alters normal functioning of the brain hence triggering criminal activities (Hagan, 2010).
The behavioral component of the psychological theories states that human behavioral traits are developed through experiences in that teach people certain lessons. Crime is thus seen as an activity that is carried out in response to the prevailing challenges that are encountered by individuals’ everyday. Hence crime is not an abnormal activity but rather an attribute that is innate and triggered by the right stimuli. Similarly, the theory regards society, as well as, genetic make-up as being causes of emerging violence and unacceptable behavior due to imitation of criminal activities that are exhibited by members of society (Hagan, 2010).
The third segment of the psychological theories is the cognitive theory which focuses on the mental perception of individuals concerning their immediate surroundings. Various stages of cognition are engaged such as respect for the law to avoid punishment. Hence people abstain from crime not for the sake of being good citizens but rater to avoid being punished by the authorities. Criminals are believed to be in the lower class of moral judgment whereby they avoid engaging in crime to evade punishment. Research has shown that people who refrain from crime out of fear of being punished are more likely to end up in crime out of curiosity (Hagan, 2010).
This theory is a favorite for many scholars as criminal behavior has been known to occur later in life when an individual is in a position to engage in many activities all by themselves. Therefore, the aspect of other theories such as biological are ruled out as if crime was genetic then infants would present some degree of criminal actions. The psychological theories are applicable in society as the human activities that are practiced by a certain society is emulated by subsequent generations. Therefore, if a society is made up of criminals, then that becomes the main human activity of the society (Hagan, 2010).
Reference
Hagan, F.E. (2010), Introduction to criminology: theories, methods and criminal behavior. Sage publications.
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