Classical Criminology Theory

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Classical Theory of Crime Criminological Theories been around since the 18-century, which was when the very first criminological theory was made. Criminological theories are ideas and assumptions that are used to try and attempt to explain why crimes are committed as well as try to break them down into certain characteristics as to how specific cultures, societies and other groups commit crimes and why they do it. Since the first criminological theory was made there have been many advances that have been stated to better understand crimes and criminal behavior. Today many new criminological theories are being presented to explain urban crime. For example, now a days we see and treat mental illness very differently than before, we now actually …show more content…

Criminals tried to increase pleasure as they increase pain. The classical theory of criminology was made in the 18th century, during the Enlightenment period, also known as the Age of Reason. The theory was made by Cesare Beccaria, who was an Italian criminologist. Beccaria was a founder of the Classical School of criminology and also had some other finding in the field of Penology. Beccaria believed in criminal justice and that if someone committed a crime the he would have to be punished for it and made a statement of in order to deter others from committing the crime. Although he believed in punishing individuals for committing crimes, he was against torture and the death penalty. He wrote “The death penalty cannot be useful, because of the example of barbarity it gives. . . . It seems to me absurd that the laws, which are an expression of the public will, which detest and punish homicide, should themselves commit it, and that to deter citizens from murder, they order a public on”, in An Essay on Crimes and Punishments. He also said that a punishment must be done quickly in order to make a point out of the person. Classical Theory also says that an individual usually weighs the risk and reward of doing a certain crime, which is another reason why I believe this best explains the crime in urban cities today. Because of Cesare Beccaria and the Classical Criminological theory, we would not have all the new criminological theories and ideas that we now have today. A lot of the new ideas today are advancement of the classical theory and even have some ideas like Beccaria’s. With some theories being good others are not and only explained some criminals and

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