ABSTRACT
Theories include a specific set of ideas that are testable using a systematic method. This is what makes theories scientific. A theory has been defined by Kerlinger and Lee as: “a set of interrelated constructs, definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining and predicting phenomena.” Theories can also attempt to explain phenomena at different levels. Levels can be at the individual level and/or at the group level. Criminology is the study of criminal behavior. This can be separated from criminal justice theory which is concerned with the explanations of the operations of the criminal justice system. Scientific investigation is based on empiricism. For something to be empirical, it has to be observable and measurable. In social sciences, like criminology, we can never, with 100 percent accuracy, “prove” something. Instead, we have to accumulate a significant amount of evidence in support of a theory to explain behavior.
