Compare Criminal Behaviour and Deviance

Understanding Criminal Behaviour and Deviance

Criminal behaviour refers to acts that are deemed illegal by a society’s legal system. These acts are punishable by law and are established in a codified rule of law.
Theories of criminal behaviour attempt to understand why individuals commit crimes. They focus on biological, psychological, social and economic factors.
Biological theories attribute criminal behaviour to genetics, brain structures, and hormonal imbalances.
Psychological theories propose that personality disorders, low self-control, and emotional instability can influence an individual’s propensity to crime.
Social and economic theories highlight environmental factors like poverty, poor education, peer pressure, and broken homes contributing to criminal behaviour.

Deviance, unlike criminal behaviour, is not necessarily a violation of legal laws but can be an act that goes against societal norms or expectations.
Deviance can be both positive (beneficial to social change) and negative (detrimental to societal harmony).
Émile Durkheim, a pioneer sociologist, proposed the Theory of Deviance. According to him, deviance is a necessary part of a healthy society, leading to social change by challenging the status quo.
Other sociological theories of deviance include Labeling Theory, Differential-Association Theory, Control Theory, and the Strain Theory.

Both criminal behaviour and deviance are social constructs, meaning they vary depending on the societal context and can change over time.
Criminal behaviour is universally condemned, punishable by legal sanctions, while deviance may or may not attract social sanctions.
While all criminal behaviour is considered deviant (it deviates from the law), not all deviant behaviour is criminal. Some acts of deviance, like violating a dress code, won’t break a law, but will go against societal norms.
There is a grey area between criminal behaviour and deviance; some acts, such as drinking while underage or jaywalking, although legally punishable, may be normalised in certain societies and therefore are not labelled deviant.

Social construct: A concept or meaning that is constructed by society, reflecting the cultural norms and values.
Theories of criminal behaviour: Biological, Psychological, and Social theories that attempt to explain why people commit crimes.
Theory of Deviance: The concept that deviance is an integral part of a healthy society, as it drives social change by challenging the status quo.
Gray area between criminal behaviour and deviance: Some acts, while legally punishable, are normalised in certain societies and therefore are not labelled deviant.