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Theories of Crime: BECCARIA, LOMBROSO AND DURKHEIM

The theories on crime deterrence and punishment have changed throughout history. Beccaria, Lombroso and Durkheim are three theorists who have changed the way deterrence, punishment and crime generally is viewed within society. This essay will first explore each of the theorists’ ideas separately. It will then examine the similarities and differences between each theory.
Cesare Beccaria, born in 1738, focused on deterrence as the means of crime prevention. Beccaria fits into the Classical School of thinking, and wrote in a time when torture was used regularly to obtain information from people, and where capital punishment could be used for any type of offence. Punishment was based on a retributive means, where the punishment, or harm, given was equal to the harm caused by the perpetrator. In 1764, Beccaria published a book called ‘On crimes and Punishments’, where he theorised that this approach did not discourage determined criminals from committing crimes. He suggested, ...

Posted by: Margaret Rowden

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