Question

Which theory or theories on crime best explain why people become involved in criminal behaviour? research and write a 270 words essay.

Answer 1

The theory on crime that best explains why people become involved in criminal behavior includes the psychological approach as it explains the causes of involvement that are immediate according to this approach the individual is the primary unit of analysis in psychological theories. The major motivational element that drives behavior within individuals is personality. Normality being generally defined by; social consensus leading to the definition of crimes as something that would result from abnormal, dysfunctional, or inappropriate mental processes within the personality of the individual. Criminal behavior may be purposeful for the individual as it may address certain felt needs. Defective, or abnormal, mental processes may have a variety of causes, i.e., a diseased mind, inappropriate learning or improper conditioning, the emulation of inappropriate role models, and adjustment to inner conflicts (Mischel, 1968).