The sociological and psychological perspectives of crime contribute largely to the understanding of the various assumptions of crime and the policy assumptions to address crime. Sociological perspective focus more on the deviation from the social norms by individuals which makes them go against the social bonds. As a result of deviation from the social norms, the society is characterized by weakening of social controls with unsatisfactory social relationships among members of the society. The psychological perspective of crime, on the other hand, addresses the individual traits that cause people to commit crimes. The individual traits are divided into four categories including; personality traits, low self-control, aggression and cognitive behavior. All the traits are linked with distortion in long term patterns of thinking, emotions and behaviors that affect the actions of individuals.
Sociological perspective of crime identifies the fact that criminal behavior is brought by a change in the social environment in which people live in. This implies that with changes in the social and group organizations and the neighborhoods where individuals live, people tend to develop behaviors that are against the societal norms. The sociological perspective is concerned with the idea that extreme individuals tend to have deviant behavior which leads them to contribute to weakened social controls that disrupt relationships among members of the society. The modern society is largely linked to breakdown in the intimacy of traditional communities such that the cultural norms and values are no longer a major concern in individualistic societies.
The rising population in the urban areas has led to development of slums that are dwelling places for the urban poor. Those who grow up in the poor neighborhoods tend to develop rebellious behavior due to their social environment that is in most cases characterized by violence. Without effective policy interventions to ensure that the slums are upgraded to good standards, the break down in the social system moves from generation to generation thereby making it hard to eliminate incidences of crime. The society is no longer governed by the long-established rules but by rules imposed by deviant groups in the society which then affects the social environment in which people interact.
The psychological perspective, on the other hand, is focused on creating the need for policy interventions that deal with individual’s behavior traits. Psychological perspective is influential in shaping the way society thinks about crime and improving the policies on crime. Crime is addressed at an individual level as undesirable traits such as low self-control are considered to lead to criminal behavior. The psychological traits identified include; aggressive behavior, cognitive distortion, personality traits and low self-control. Such traits when observed in an individual become imperative in explaining criminal behavior in individuals. By understanding the changes in individual traits, it is possible to prevent development of criminal traits among vulnerable groups such as the risky youths, adolescents and children. Personality traits define the unique long patterns of thinking, emotions and behavior that affect the behavior of individuals. The personality traits are key to predicting criminal conduct and offer a superior comprehension of how individuals react to difficulties, make choices and relate with their environment. Psychological perspectives provide a clear view of the emotional instability, impulsive and antisocial behavior in individuals that could be linked to criminal intent and behavior. Individuals who are aggressive tend to develop anger easily and often engage in hostility which then makes them susceptible to crime.
References
Kamaluddin, M., Shariff, N., & Othman, A. (2015). Linking Psychological Traits with Criminal Behaviour: A Review. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 20-30.
Zembroski, D. (2011). Sociological Theories of Crime and Delinquency. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 240–254.
