Prelim Exam

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Explain in your own understanding the theoretical models of criminal

behavior (Psychological, Social, & Biological) and the importance of each


approach in not more than five sentences.

 PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES

From the word ‘psychology’ it is the study of human mind and therefore this
approach highlighted the relationship of an individual’s psychological
aspect on the causation of a criminal behavior. Because of the reason that
personality is the major motivational element that drives behavior within
individuals, psychological approach mainly focuses on how broad personality
can drive a person’s behavior and how individuals with personality disorder
can influence the person’s behavior to commit crime. The importance of
psychological approaches is that the methods of crime control policies
which are based on psychological principles target the individual and
attempt to reform or prevent psychological principles from that
perspective. Also, psychologists have long been recognized that the best
predictor of future behavior is the individual’s past behavior. So policies
that are specifically designed to deal with repeat offenders are also based
on psychological principles of criminality.

 SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES

This approach overlooks the relationship of social norms, structures, and


cultures on the causation of criminal behavior. The lack of social
interaction, awareness, or relationship of a person can be a major
influence on the change of an individual’s perspective and behavior towards
criminality. The importance of sociological approaches is the fact that it
studies the sociological perspective in crime causation; it can propose
certain solutions in order to decrease or prevent a person from being
influence to commit criminal acts. Likewise, sociological policies to
control crime would advocate stronger and harsher penalties for serious
crimes are more effective law enforcement. Its purpose includes punishment,
rehabilitation, deterrence, and selective confinement in which all of these
should be utilized where appropriate for the individual.

 BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES

This approach explains that some defect in the biological makeup of an


individual is the cause of criminal behavior. In which these defects are
expected to be caused by heredity – the passing on of physical or mental
characteristics from one generation to another, neurotransmitter
dysfunction – can be caused by disease or drugs that can cause number of
different adverse effects on the body, and brain abnormalities that were
either caused by either of the above, improper development, or trauma. The
importance of biological approaches is that because it overlooks the
biological reasons on the causes of criminal behavior of a person in which
mostly considered as an abnormality in their biological makeup, it would be
a policy that certain forms of criminal behavior or certain individuals may
not be rehabilitated and the implementation of harsher and stricter
imprisonments are not recommended. Individuals who exhibit these
abnormalities are monitored and studied for improvement and treatment for
similar imminent cases or situations.

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