ABSTRACT
Theoretical constructions in criminology have had problems for quite some time. In actuality, very few criminological theories find themselves in direct competition because they attempt to explain different parts of the crime/criminal dilemma. The beginnings of modern criminology are usually traced to the Classical School. That school was mainly a philosophical and political position regarding the nature of men and their relationship to the state. The work of the Chicago School creating statistical methodology focused on rates of social phenomena was instrumental in contributing to the rise of a structural criminology. The advent of labeling and conflict theories may be seen as a reaction of criminology to the new evidence of self-report studies. Finally, the criminological theories of the 1980s were, in part, based on new victimological evidence. Social control theories have been seen as directly tied to self-report methodology, so there is some contention that these theories are indeed evidence based.
