Understanding Deviant Behavior: A Study in Developmental Criminology

As studied in developmental criminology, these theories incorporate all the causative factors leading to criminal behavior in human beings in various stages of their lives. The study mainly focuses on the reasons prompting deviant behavior, thus presenting the need to understand the principles of this criminology branch. Psychologists’ insight into human behavior dictates that both external and internal factors influence people 's actions. Therefore, the primary developmental theories can be categorized under social, biological, and psychological reasons for deviance. The main sociological theories in the study include the strain principle, social learning, and social control concepts. The biological ones include life-course and latent trait

However, the innate characteristics combined with external social conditions at birth which are reinforced during the development process influence people to act in a certain way. For example, the physical trait determines a person’s behavior by studying patterns of the individual’s entire life and linking them to biology. A person born with a large body frame is likely to develop into a bully while young. This individual may not experience fear when committing offenses because he or she has the physical capacity to intimidate others. The latent trait theory also explains that people are born with certain static characteristics that will likely remain unchangeable throughout their lifetime. For example, a child who likes taking items randomly without necessarily needing them and without permission may develop into a thief. Also, a hot-tempered child may grow up into a violent person. Using a social perspective view, people engage in crime due to strenuous events. The individual quickly forms a habit when he or she learns that the way to solve the stressful event is through re-committing the offense as portrayed in the social learning