Criminological Theory: Explaining Crime. This essay will look at how the subcultural theories and control theories try to explain why some people commit the specific crimes of shoplifting and theft offences other than burglary.

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Criminological Theory: Explaining Crime

Within the field of criminology, a number of theories exist that attempt to explain why some people commit crime. This essay will look at how the subcultural theories and control theories try to explain why some people commit the specific crimes of shoplifting and theft offences other than burglary. Statistics for these offences are categorised by the Home Office under the heading ‘other theft offences’, which includes “a range of offences, including shoplifting and abstraction of electricity” and does not include burglary, theft of a motor vehicle or theft from a motor vehicle (Home Office, 2011, p. 7).  In the 12 months leading up to December 2010 there were 1,057,720 instances of ‘other theft offences’ recorded in the UK, a 1% increase on the previous year’s statistics (Home Office, 2011, p. 7). In the same time frame 28,818 ‘other theft offences’ were recorded in the local authority of Portsmouth, a decrease of 4.5% on the previous year (Home Office, 2011). Shoplifting in particular has increased sharply since the start of the recession (Crimestoppers, 2010) and the value of goods being stolen has risen by 20% (Crimestoppers, 2009).

One set of theories that attempts to explain criminality are the subcultural theories. One of the first subcultural theories was Albert Cohen’s (1955) theory of delinquency, which he developed through researching gangs in Chicago (Muncie, 2005, p. 427). Cohen’s theory outlined a number of major features of subcultures of delinquency. He determined that much of the crimes committed by gangs are not driven by profit or monetary gain and that the members of these gangs actively reject the dominant values, held by most of society (Newburn, 2007, p. 197). He also stated that those within subcultures of delinquency do not specialise in any particular delinquent act and that the acts they commit provide instant gratification (Newburn, 2007, p. 197; Muncie, 2005, p. 427). Cohen argued that delinquent subcultures form because of the inability of working class boys to gain high status in a society based on middle class values, and that this creates what he called ‘status frustration’ (Muncie, 2005, p. 427). To solve the problem of status frustration, the boys form gangs which have their own values which are the reverse of those held by the majority of society. This results in delinquency as members of the subculture gain status within it by committing acts which are seen as wrong by the majority of society but as right by the gang (Cohen, 1955, p. 28).

Cohen’s theory was built on by Cloward and Ohlin (1960) who stated that there are three different types of delinquent subculture and that the formation of these subcultures depends on the level of access to legitimate and illegitimate opportunities (Newburn, 2007, p. 198). The three types of delinquent subculture they identified were the ‘criminal subculture’, the ‘conflict subculture’ and the ‘retreatist subculture’ (Newburn, 2007, p. 198). The criminal subculture was said to develop in lower class areas and that the actions of the members involves theft and burglary for financial gain. Specialist criminals act as role models for younger people in the area who then gain access to the criminal subculture (Newburn, 2007, p. 198; Muncie, 2005, p. 427). The conflict subculture develops when there is no access to both legitimate and illegitimate opportunities. Violence is used within these subcultures to gain status (Muncie, 2005, p. 427). Finally, the retreatist subculture develops when youths fail to achieve success through both legitimate and illegitimate opportunities. Cloward and Ohlin said this ‘double failure’ leads to drug use (Newburn, 2007, p. 198).

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The other group of theories that this essay will be examining in relation to shoplifting and other theft offences are the control theories. In contrast to other criminological theories, the control theories try to explain why the majority of people don’t commit crimes (Newburn, 2007, p. 228). Control theories see humans as being driven by needs and desires and that crime is a natural consequence of inadequate controls (Newburn, 2007, p. 228). One of the earliest control theories was Walter Reckless’s containment theory. Reckless argued that there are influences in society that can push people towards crime and that most ...

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