Criminology Theories

Paper Summary:

This paper provides a comparison of the basic elements of these two schools of thought. It explains how both suggested that criminals could be redirected toward lawful behavior, but classical views stressed the need to recondition or redirect criminals through behavior modification and psychological and moral influences. Criminals must be rationally convinced not to commit crimes. It explains how the positivist views, in contrast, stressed the different nature of criminals, socially and, above all, biologically. Criminals had a different genetic makeup than law-abiding citizens, which drove them into social milieus that only reinforced these tendencies.

From the Paper:

"Although 18th century classical views of criminology should not be conflated with later, modern notions of classical psychological conditioning like Pavlov's dog being trained to salivate at the sound of a bell, there are certain similarities between the two schools of thought and even some of the methods used in classical criminology to reorient criminals back into society. First and foremost, later forms of classical conditioning and the early classical school of criminality both stressed the ability, through repeated positive reinforcement of socially desirable traits and negative enforcement regarding antisocial traits deemed criminal by society. (Adler, et. al, 2004) For instance, Jeremy Bentham's vision of a "panopticon" like prison in classical criminology suggested a prison in which individuals were constantly watched, and thus were forced to monitor and reform their behavior accordingly. Eventually, the reinforcement of watching would no longer be necessary, after individuals had been reinstalled with proper notions and more importantly, taught proper methods of behavior that could create a better method of society (Bentham, 1761)"

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