The Most Important Theories of Crime

Criminologists have developed major theories on crime. They focus on determining the causes of crimes and risk factors. These theories explain why laws are in place and the reason people break them. In 1934, a famous sociologist (Edwin Sutherland) defined criminology as the scientific study of people who break the law. Theories about crime attempt to make sense of what happened in a person’s life in the past, which might help predict criminal behavior in the future.