Good Essay About Theories Of Crime

Response to Post No. 1

I agree with the poster’s main premise that there is no one theory that best explains crime. Even the offenders featured in the textbook, such as James Holmes (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 55), Adam Lanza (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 24), Ted Bundy and Timothy McVeigh (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 18) seemed to be motivated by different reasons. Thus, I believed that one theory is applicable to one, but not to some or a combination of theories, as the poster suggested, can be used to apply to one case, but not to others. For example, Ted Bundy was good looking and charming so Lombroso’s theory (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 62) is not applicable to him. Lanza has odd looks, but he was described as intelligent so the low intelligence-crime link (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 66) cannot be used on him or on Bundy and Holmes, as the last two had advanced college education. However, some of the criminological theories are certainly applicable to them.

Response to Post No. 2

I agree with the main contention of this post as well. The post took a further step by mentioning that there are theories that are believable and some are not. I think, on the other hand, that all these theories are believable depending on the motivations of the subject offender. Thus, if the theory fits the subject offender, then it becomes believable as to his/her crime. I believed that when the theorists crafted their respective theories, they had basis for them, but the emergence of new cases belying them rendered them less credible. For example, Lombroso (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 62) developed his theory after years of studying criminals in prison. Similarly, the environmental link to criminality by the Chicago School was a product of extensive study (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 70). The feminist theory (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 58) may seem far-fetched, but I think it has basis as well. The main flaw of these theories, however, is that they lack universality and hence, are subject-specific only.

Reference

Haley, K. & Bohm, R. (2014). Introduction to Criminal Justice (8th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.