Information about each criminological theory:

1. Biochemistry

Is known by many names: biological, constitutional (having to do with the structure of the body's morphology), genetic, and anthropological criminology. The oldest field is criminal anthropology, founded by the father of modern criminology, Cesare Lombroso, in 1876. He was one of the first exponents of the positivist approach to explaining crime, positivism meaning a search for the causes of crime using scientific method, as opposed to the classical approach, which relies upon free will as the main cause of crime. Historically, theories of the biochemistry type have tried to establish the biological inferiority of criminals, but modern bio-criminology simply says that heredity and body organ dysfunctions produce a predisposition toward crime.

2. Psychological criminology

Has been around since 1914, and attempts to explain the consistent finding that there is an eight-point IQ difference between criminals and non-criminals. That gap isn't enough to notice, but it might make them more impulsive and foolhardy. Other psycho-criminologists focus on personality disorders, like the psychopaths, sociopaths, and antisocial personalities.

3. Ecological criminology

Was the first sociological criminology, developed during the 1920s at the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago. Hence, it is also called Chicago School sociology. Ecology is the study of relationships between an organism and its environment, and this type of theory explains crime by the disorganised eco-areas where people live rather than by the kind of people who live there.

4. Strain

Sometimes called by the French word anomie, is a 1938 American version of French sociology, invented by the father of modern sociology, Emile Durkheim (1858-1917). This type of theory sees crime as the normal result of an "American dream" in which people set their aspirations (for wealth, education, occupation, any status symbol) too high, and inevitably discover strain, or goal blockages, along the way. This is an expansion of Merton's Strain Theory. There is a relationship between deviance and the availability of illegitimate opportunity structures. People will become deviant when circumstances arise that provide an opportunity for people to acquire through illegitimate activities what they cannot achieve through legitimate channels. The only two things to do are reduce aspirations or increase opportunities.

5. Learning theories

Tend to follow the lead of Edwin Sutherland's theory of differential association, developed in 1947, although ideas about imitation or modelling go back to 1890. Often oversimplified as "peer group" theories, learning is much more than that, and involves the analysis of what is positively and negatively rewarding (reinforcing) for individuals.

6. Control theories

Control theories in criminology are all about social control. Only those called containment or low-self control theories have to do with individual psychology. Control theory has pretty much dominated the criminological landscape since 1969. It focuses upon a person's relationships to their agents of socialisation, such as parents, teachers, preachers, coaches, scout leaders, or police officers. It studies how effective bonding with such authority figures translates into bonding with society, hence keeping people out of trouble with the law.

7. Labelling theory

Was a child of the 1960s and 1970s which saw criminals as underdogs who initially did something out of the ordinary, and then got swept up in a huge, government-sponsored labelling or shunning reaction. It argues that anyone facing such an overwhelming, negative labelling social reaction will eventually become more like the label because that is the only way out for their identify formation. It points out that sometimes its best to do nothing (for minor offending), and that there are few re-integrative rituals designed to help people fit back into their communities.

8. Conflict theory

Holds that society is based on conflict between competing interest groups; for example, rich against poor, management against labour, whites against minorities, men against women, adults against children, etc. These kind of dog-eat-dog theories also have their origins in the 1960s and 1970s, and are characterised by the study of power and powerlessness.

9. Radical theories,

Also from the 1960s and 1970s, typically involve Marxist (referring to Karl Marx 1818-1883) critiques of capitalist society which allows things to exist like millions of billionaires and millionaires while the vast majority of people live in poverty or just get by. Such fundamental economic disparities reflect basic contradictions in the way work is organised into demoralising, brutalising, and oppressive conditions. Crime is seen as a reflection of class struggle, a kind of primitive rebellion with criminals behaving as rebels without a clue. Only through praxis (informed action based on theoretical understanding) will the new socialist society be formed and crime will go away.

10. Left realism

Is a mid-1980s British development that focuses upon the reasons why people of the working class prey upon one another, that is, victimise other poor people of their own race and kind. It wants the police to have more power in protecting poor people, but on the other hand, doesn't want the police to be invasive or intrusive.

11. Peacemaking criminology

Came about during the 1990s as the study of how "wars" on crime only make matters worse. It suggests that the solution to crime is to create more caring, mutually dependent communities and strive for inner rebirth or spiritual rejuvenation (inner peace).

12. Feminist criminology

Matured in the 1990s, although feminist ideas have been around for decades. The central concept is patriarchy, or male domination, as the main cause of crime. Feminists also tend to call for more attention to female points of view.

13. Post-modern criminology

Matured in the 1990s, although postmodernism itself (as a rejection of scientific rationality to the pursuit of knowledge) was born in the late 1960s. It tends to focus upon how stereotypical words, thoughts, and conceptions limit our understanding, and how crime develops from feelings of being disconnected and dehumanised. It advocates replacing our current legal system with informal social controls such as group and neighbourhood tribunals.

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