Criminological Theories Of Criminal Behavior

Michetti 1 Throughout the world crime has played such a huge role in our everyday lives. There has always been an incredible passion with trying to figure out what it is that drives individuals to commit crimes. When watching the news or even reading the daily newspaper it is almost impossible to avoid hearing about a violent event that has taken place in possibly a neighborhood near you. Sometimes it is hard to depict what made this person go out and commit a robbery, murder or even assault. Criminal behavior is often a debatable topic to come in contact with. There are numerous criminological theories that can be supported as the main cause of these deviant actions. One theory I believe can be best represented as the root of criminal …show more content…
The social learning theory is a popular theory well supported by a man named Albert Bandura. Based on the true definition, the social learning theory may be explained as “learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction, even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct reinforcement. In addition to the observation of behavior, learning also occurs through the observation of rewards and punishments, a process known as vicarious reinforcement.” In many situations this can be significant, people may learn new behaviors, attitudes, and values from observing people in their environment. For example if a teenager starts cutting class and hanging out with the wrong group of people it may lead to consistently bad habits. The teen may learn things from this group and may become custom to new bad behaviors. On the other hand if the same teenager goes to class and does all the right things it may lead to receiving good grade and being successful. This teen may learn that because they studied for that test or behaved in class it lead to rewards which makes them strive to attain higher standards for …show more content…
The fundamental core of this aspect of social learning theory is every action has a direct reward or consequence. According to this belief either the rewarding or consequential factor would shape or mold our thinking to understand the more favorable effects. This would lead to individuals subsequently choosing the more favorable decision. Throughout ones trial and error one would learn to make decisions which would directly benefit themselves instead of harm. “Through this process of differential reinforcement successful modes of behavior are eventually selected from exploratory activities, while ineffectual ones are discarded” (Bandura 1971). Two useful tools that are used to alter this behavior may be reinforcements and punishments. Punishments are meant to decrease undesirable behaviors while reinforcements are aimed to increase desirable behaviors. Both negative and positive reinforcement are aimed to result in a good behavior. According to Bandura he says “Simple performances can be altered to some degree through reinforcement without awareness of the relationship between ones actions and their outcomes. However, man’s cognitive skills enable him to profit more extensively from experience than if he were an unthinking organism.” (Bandura 1971). This justifies that human learning may be influenced by real life observations of behaviors. Behaviors are witnessed, information is received, decisions are

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