After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

5.1 Discuss why criminal justice scholars study the causes of crime

5.2 Describe the five theoretical frameworks that criminological theories use to explain crime

5.3 Identify crime prevention strategies that reduce offenders’ desires and opportunities for criminal behavior

5.4 Discuss the role of biology on crime

5.5 Explain how social factors might contribute to criminal behavior

5.6 Compare and contrast three different social psychological explanations of crime

5.7 Demonstrate how cognitive processes contribute to criminal behavior