Theories Of Criminal Behavior

Theories help answer two very important questions; how and why. The purpose of a theory is to explain how and why certain things and/or events are connected to other things and/or events. Everything done in the criminal justice field is based on theory. In criminology, theories answer questions about criminal behavior that would have otherwise not been answered. Theories give clues to how and why people commit criminal acts. By providing the motives behind criminal activity, theories give criminologists a better understanding of crime (Bohm & Vogel, 2015). Theories of criminal behavior can relate to human nature, biological issues, psychological issues, sociological issues, economic issues, or a collaboration of two or more of these factors.

All theories share one thing in common; they rely a lot on philosophical assumptions. Philosophical assumptions are ideas that cannot be tested empirically or scientifically. This means that they cannot be proved or disproved. Instead, philosophical assumptions give philosophical insight on criminal behavior (Bohm & Vogel, 2015). Philosophical Assumptions are especially important because scientific research rarely offers conclusive results in regards to which theory should be used in a particular case. Philosophical assumptions are a driving force in whether a person accepts or rejects a theory. To better understand the role philosophical assumptions play in understanding criminal behavior, one must be aware of the different types of philosophical assumptions (Bohm & Vogel, 2015).

One of the major philosophical assumptions seen in all theories is ethical assumptions. Ethical assumptions, also known as normative implications, give insight on what is right and wrong, good, and bad, and what should be done in situations. Thus, criminal theories contain certain value judgments and policy implications. Value judgments evaluate the behavior, while policy implications describe a solution or what should be done in a particular situation (Bohm & Vogel,

Unlike philosophical assumptions, scientific theories can be tested scientifically or empirically. Scientific theories are tested through the process of verification and falsification. Verification occurs through observation and is the confirmation of proposition. Falsification also involves observation. However, falsification involves disproving a proposition. Most scientists believe that falsification is more powerful than verification. This has been widely accepted because is impossible to prove that a theory is true since there is always a possibility that the relationship that has been observed may play a role in some unconsidered factor. However, theories can be proven as false (Bohm & Vogel,