Paper Summary:

This paper explains that criminologists believe that all theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior must contain dimensions relating to the society's conception of criminal behavior, some type of treatment and a particular research methodology. The author focuses on the biological theory, the psychological theory, the feminist theory and integrated theory, all of which share many similarities and differences while supporting each other in relation to the causes of crime and criminal activity. The paper concludes that the overall causation of criminal behavior does not draw upon only one of the theories in this paper; however, the integrated theory helps to fill in the gaps created by other theories and may help to shed new light on how the other theories might be improved.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Specific Criminological Theories
The Biological Theory
The Psychological Theory
The Feminist Theory
The Integrated Theory

From the Paper:

"In essence, this approach leans heavily toward reinforcement, or in other words, "positive reinforcement or reward which increases the likelihood of the behavior which follows." Obviously, the psychological theory supports the assumption that genetics, particularly regarding brain development, is closely tied to criminal behavior and motivations; however, the psychological approach to crime causation contradicts itself in many ways, especially when one considers that fact that "all aggressive persons are not criminals and all criminals are not aggressive.""

Sample of Sources Used:

• Akers, Ronald R. (1997). Criminological Theories: An Introduction. New York: Roxbury Publishing Company.
• Allen, Amy. (19 October, 2005). "Feminist Perspectives on Power." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Internet. Accessed from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminist-power.
• Anderson, James F. (2002). Criminological Theories: Understanding Crime inAmerica. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Gibbons, Donald C. (1979). The Criminological Enterprise: Theories and Perspectives. New York: Prentice-Hall.
• O'Connor, Thomas. (2004). "Criminological Theories." Criminology Mega-Site. Internet. Accessed from http://faculty.ncwc.edu/TOConnor/criminology.htm.

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