Your goal when writing this paper should be to demonstrate an understanding (and ability to see the real-world applicability)

 

· Theories of Victimization

The dominant theories of victimization include:

Victim-Precipitation Theory

Lifestyle Theory

Deviant Place Theory

Routine Activities Theory

· Categories of Sociological Theories

Social Structure Theories: start from the premise that crime results from a person’s location within the structure of society

Social Process Theories: built on the assumption that crime is the end product of various social processes

Conflict Theories: based on the argument that crime is the product of class struggle

· Social Disorganization Theory

· Environmental Criminology (Criminology of Place)

Environmental Criminology is a relatively new approach building on:

1) activities theory 2) situational crime prevention 3) ecological approaches

· Strain Theory

· Anomie Theory and Institutional Anomie Theory

· Relative Deprivation Theory

· Culture Conflict/Cultural Deviance Theory

· Social Process Theories

These theories are all based on the assumption that everyone has the potential to violate the law.

Learning theories: are an example of Social Process theories which are based on the premise that all behaviors, including crime, are learned through similar processes.

Social Control Theories: based on the argument that individuals have various social controls which help them to resist pressures that lead to crime and delinquency.

· Neutralization Theory

· Differential Association Theory

· Differential Association—Reinforcement Theory

· Containment Theory

· Social Bond Theory

· Control-Balance Theory

· Labeling Theory