1) General theories that explain criminal behavior stem from biological, sociological, and psychological models. Within each theory, several rationales for understanding violent human behavior exists. Oftentimes, these theoretical models overlap such as the biological and sociological/psychological model impacts the nature versus nurture viewpoint. For example, the strain theory has been well received. Furthermore, researchers and scientists alike might explain crime in correlation with mental illness, genetics, environment, personality, culture, and/or socioeconomic status. Please propose your own theoretical model. This viewpoint may answer questions such as, why do people become perpetrators; are the violent acts of the offender a result of learned behavior and/or, does every person have an innate ability to victimize? Essentially, you must devise your own theory (which likely will incorporate other theoretical viewpoints) that is representative of your beliefs concerning why humans commit violent behavior. Please be sure to incorporate your insights, arguments, ideologies, philosophies, and/or conceptualizations.
2) Can you envision a scenario where a suspect is arrested, prosecuted, and convicted – and then rewarded, either publicly or in prison, for his or her acts of violence? Or, conversely, can you envision a convicted criminal who would be considered the scourge of society both on the outside and within the prison population? What would set these two apart?
