Understanding Criminal Behavior

For many students of criminology and criminal justice, the class they fear the most, besides statistics, is criminological theory. A myriad of theories proclaim to explain the actions of criminals. These include confusing hypotheses and more confusing research studies that either refute or prove research results that ultimately seem to contradict everything and prove nothing. For most students, one class is enough to turn them off to the study of criminal actions forever. Yet the study of criminological theory is essential to understanding crime patterns and developing effective police responses. While many within policing do not like to admit it, all police tactics are based on some form of criminological theory. Without a sound understanding of why criminals offend, we cannot develop effective responses to crimes or mount effective investigations of crime series. From a tactical crime analysis perspective, understanding criminal behavior and motivations provides assistance in determining potential victims, target areas, and response strategies. For this reason, a sound understanding of the main criminological theories is essential.