From Criminology Theories to a Psychological Perspective of Criminal Conduct

The search for theoretical understanding is a search for general, rational, simple, and empirically accurate explanations of variation in criminal behavior. General explanations are ones that apply to a number of specific observations. For example, a general theory of criminal conduct will account for variation in both violent and nonviolent offenses, and will do so for men and women of different ages, races, nationalities, and socioeconomic origins.