Criminology: Socio-psychological Effect Of Gender, Race And Religion On Crime

INTRODUCTION

Criminology, in its simplest meaning is the study of crime and criminal behaviour. It is an interdisciplinary field of study in which various aspects of human behaviour are involved in analyzing why a particular behaviour is referred to as criminal. It relates on who defines behaviour as criminal and why; what determines or predisposes individuals into committing crime and juvenile delinquency; and the necessary steps to curbing criminal behaviour.

Its concept consists of various theories and how sociological and psychological concept from both societal point of view and internalized biological hereditary mold of a criminal. It went further to state the sociological theories of crime ranging from Chicago school, differential, Anomie and Social control theory in respect of human behaviour in relation to crime. The psychological concept of crime gives an elaborate explanation from scientific approach of human interaction based on genetic make up as sole responsibility in determining criminal propensity among human beings especially, i.e. relation to race and gender; other forms as the psychoanalytical theory which deals majorly with moral development occasioned from a physiological component.

Moreso, the biological concept which is intrinsically intertwined with both genetic and hormonal structure such as from data study, neurological abnormality in reference to brain makeup and levels of serotonin and other chemical imbalance, nerve structure or neuron-transmitter, the personality theory and how groups of individual suffering from mental disorder affects crime population as a whole. Giving an analytical approach as to how socio-psychological concept of crime in relation to Gender, race and religion are affected by this concept and how various theories, hypotheses and theses contributed to this while trying to give an objective reason void of sentiment as to why certain category of gender, race and religion are more proportionally represented in crime than the other, from a socio-psychological point of view of criminology.

1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The term criminology analysis not only the concept of crime, but the inherent attitude which pre-dispose individuals to crime and how society shape this attitude in criminals. If and when the antecedent of why and how people commit crime are understood then the problem of crime and its victimization would be drastically reduced by focusing on the root source, be it sociologically or psychologically incline.

1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this topic is to critically analyze the concept of crime, theory of ‘born criminal’ and relate the nature of crime, its causes and evaluate the effects on society as a whole both as a contributing factor to crime and as its victim. Its objective is to educate, give a vivid insight into an in-depth nature of crime not only in penological theories of punishment or rehabilitation mechanism but to deal directly with the remote causes of crime and how best to solve them. Moreso, to understand why certain individuals within gender, religion or race/ethnic bracket are more pre-disposed to crime than others within a sociological or psychological makeup.

1.3 SCOPE OF STUDY

The scope of study is to mirror the overall effects of socio-psychology on gender, race/ethnic and religion within a criminologically defined value system and their corresponding interaction with each other.

1.4 LIMITATION

The various factors limiting against this subject arise majorly from the dearth of criminologist expert in Nigeria to give an insight from a Nigerian point of view beside most criminologists are foreign trained with no works that essentially covers a Nigerian perspective. Another limitation is the poor record facility of the Nigeria police, lack of basic information on victims, lack of forensic or scientific experts on genetic or biological know-how, no report study, unwillingness by securities and medical practitioners to give data on victims based on confidential relationship. Moreso, most criminals or crimes are not grouped along gender, religion or ethnic nationality when computing statistics except for issues on incarceration or death row which are gender sensitive. Furthermore, moral and religious claims have made it hard for major scientific breakthrough to make public the reports which makes DNA study enables scientist determine behavioural tendencies of individuals along race, gender outside sociological factors and the subjective nature of most socio-psychological thesis, theories and hypothesis in application to crime.

1.5 METHODOLOGY

The method of approach to this topic is analytical/descriptive through a tabular representation of data and careful chronological arranged sequential order of criminology, its scope of study as it relates to socio-psychological effects of gender, race and religion.