2 Read the text and match the headings with the sections of the text below:  Psychological and psychiatric theories
 Genetic and biological theories
 Social environment theories
 Theological and ethical theories
 Multiple causation theory
 The theory of choice
WHY DO WE COMMIT CRIMES?
All adults at some time or another commit a crime, sometimes by accident, but
why do some people intentionally commit crimes? Here are some theories that try to
explain the causes of criminal behaviour:
1 No one knows why crime occurs. The oldest theory, based on theology and
ethics, is that criminals are perverse persons who deliberately commit crimes or who
do so at the instigation of the devil or other evil spirits. Although this idea has been
discarded by modern criminologists, it persists among uninformed people.
2 The idea that some people commit crimes because of biological factors has a
long tradition. This theory suggests that criminals are born, not made. It was
developed in the 19th century by the Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso, who
believed that crimes were committed by persons who are born with certain
recognizable hereditary physical traits. Among the things he considered important
there were skull and ears shapes, color of the hair and the eyes, etc. Although experts
no longer believe in it today, they claim that human behavior can be related to the
genes of an individual. Studies of adopted children who exhibit criminal behavior show
that their behavior is more similar to the behavior of their biological parents than to their
adoptive parents who demonstrate a genetic connection.
3 Many prominent criminologists of the 19th century claimed that the personality
conditions such as poverty, lack of privacy and poor sanitation affect their
behavior. These conditions generate a sense of destitution and hopelessness and
contribute to the commission of crimes as a means of escape. More modern scientists note that just as children learn good behaviour from their parents, so children can learn bad
behaviour from their families and friends. It is a vicious circle, as one expert states:
“Problem children tend to grow up into problem adults, and problem adults tend to
produce more problem children.”
Studies of the 20lh4.
century investigators indicated that about one-fourth of a
typical convict population is psychotic, neurotic, or emotionally unstable and another
one-fourth is mentally deficient. These emotional and mental conditions do not
automatically make people criminals, but make them more prone to criminality.
Recent studies of criminals state that emotional disturbances may lead to criminal
behavior.
5 The central idea of this theory is that crime is a career decision, an
alternative way to make a living. The theory states that most criminals are rational
people who know what they want and different ways to get it. They are able
to balance the risks of committing a crime, such as imprisonment, with its
benefits, that is, what they will get if they are not caught. The conclusion is this: if there are more
benefits than risks, do it; but if there are more risks than benefits, do not do it.
6 Since the middle of the 20th century,
experts of the century have been leaning towards the so-called multiple
theory of cause-and-effect relationships. They believe that crime stems from many factors —
biological, psychological, cultural, economic and political. Multiple cause-and-effect
explanations seem more plausible than earlier, simpler theories. Understanding
however, the causes of crime are still not clear, since the relationship of the causes
is difficult to determine.
To protect its citizens, laws regulating the behavior of people are adopted and the State
provides a crime prevention policy, remedies and sanctions in case of violation of laws.
Nevertheless, research continues on the motivation of people to commit crimes,
because understanding this can help us apply the right punishments for crimes.
With more knowledge, it will be easier for you to prevent crimes and help criminals lead a
more useful life.