Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
What are theories of deviance and crime?
Position1 of 2›

Crime is caused by society

This position holds that crime is caused chiefly by society rather than the individual. It argues that societal attitudes, class differences and social pressure produce and define crime — drawing on the strain, labelling and conflict theories of deviance.

Supporting arguments · 3

  1. The labelling theory of crime
    The Labelling Theory explains that people who deviate from social norms and roles are labelled as criminals. This theory explains that there are no intrinsically criminal acts, the only thing that makes an act a crime, is the way that people react to the act.
  2. The conflict theory of crime
    The conflict theory points to the constant social and economic inequalities in society as the main reason for crime, and describes how criminals are defined in culture
  3. The strain theory of crime
    The Strain theory states that crime is committed because of the pressure, or strain, that societal structures and ideals place on individuals. Most of these pressures are related to achieving the "American Dream".