Social-structural Different theories within criminology tend to locate their main explanation for criminal behavior at one of these levels. Occasionally, a theory attempt to combine all three levels in order to provide a more sophisticated and comprehensive picture of crime and criminality. Individual; The main focus is on the personal or individual characteristics of the offender or victim. The study may consider e.g. the influence of appearance, dress, public image or things such as tattoos. This level of analysis tends to look at the psychological or biological factors which are said to have an important role in determining why certain individuals engage in a criminal activity. The key concern is to explain crime or deviant behavior in terms of the choices or characteristics of the individual person. Situational; The main site of analysis is the immediate circumstances or situations within which criminal activity or deviant behavior occurs. Attention is directed to the specific factors that may contribute to an event occurring such as how the participants define the situations, how different people are labeled by the others in the criminal justice system and the opportunities avail for the commission of certain types of offences. Social-structural; this approach to look at crime in terms of the broad social relationships and the major social institutions of society as a whole. The analysis makes references to the relationship between classes, sexes, different ethnic and racial groups, the employed and unemployed; and various other social divisions in society. It can also involve the investigation of the operation specific institutions such as indication, family, work and the legal system in the construction of social responses to crime and deviant behavior. Criminology Schools of Thought.
Social-structural Different theories within criminology tend to locate their main explanation for criminal behavior at one of these levels. Occasionally, a theory attempt to combine all three levels in order to provide a more sophisticated and comprehensive picture of crime and criminality. Individual; The main focus is on the personal or individual characteristics of the offender or victim. The study may consider e.g. the influence of appearance, dress, public image or things such as tattoos. This level of analysis tends to look at the psychological or biological factors which are said to have an important role in determining why certain individuals engage in a criminal activity. The key concern is to explain crime or deviant behavior in terms of the choices or characteristics of the individual person. Situational; The main site of analysis is the immediate circumstances or situations within which criminal activity or deviant behavior occurs. Attention is directed to the specific factors that may contribute to an event occurring such as how the participants define the situations, how different people are labeled by the others in the criminal justice system and the opportunities avail for the commission of certain types of offences. Social-structural; this approach to look at crime in terms of the broad social relationships and the major social institutions of society as a whole. The analysis makes references to the relationship between classes, sexes, different ethnic and racial groups, the employed and unemployed; and various other social divisions in society. It can also involve the investigation of the operation specific institutions such as indication, family, work and the legal system in the construction of social responses to crime and deviant behavior. Criminology Schools of Thought.