last updated: 9/19/01
Biological/Psychological Perspectives
Theories are models that tell why things happen, From Beccaria's on forward and back to Bentham, There are two types of theories- simple and complex, But as to whether they're legit leaves some of us perplexed. (By: Kendra Murchinson)
There are two types of deterrence that prevent crime, The first is specific, the criminal is deterred over time, The second is general, the rest of the population is deterred, Deterrence is a good thing, but I doubt criminals concur, This is all you need to know about deterrence; thus the end of my rhyme. (By: Chris Walter)
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Bentham believed in punishment with pain, Enough to offset a potential gain, His "felicity calculus" was a sort of measure, But didn't succeed, much to his displeasure, Criminals need swift punishment to refrain. (By: Kristen K. Letterman) -----
"Jeremy Bentham get stuffed!" Is what his critic did say. "Ah the pains and pleasures of that!" And Jeremy went on his way. Don't cry out "Good grief!" And let your horror be brief; That's the way old J.B. is today. (By: Dr. Z) ----- Beccaria said punishment should fit the crime, If you commit the act, you must serve the time, Severity was not just the case, It was celerity and certainty that saved his face, And this is the end of my little rhyme. (By: J.M., student) ---- Bentham was the guy who simply had enough; So off he went, and had himself stuffed. He had his Hedonistic Calc, and he did find, Crime is an outgrowth of how laws are defined. Make the punishment worse than the pleasures gained, This last step is deterrence and it's no game. He knew to stand back, and knew to be tough, He knew that his theory would be quite rough. (By: Christine Hastings) ---- Beccaria so long ago, Said free will keeps crime rates far from low, When the costs are outweighed By the funds to be gained Then theft happens, much to our woe. (By: Jon'a Meyer)
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All laws should be publicized. So that the public will abide. Since from them no societal good arose, Vice laws Beccaria did oppose, And, he said punishment should happen soon after the crime. (By: Micheala Jones)
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Beccaria & Bentham both saw the CJ system as bad; Penalty for theft was death for the young lad. Beccaria believed punishment should fit the crime, And that everyone should do their time. Punishing crime would make both of them glad. (By: Ivonne Rivera & Kim Vanbuskirk)
There are some who state biological theory Towards twins and XYY be leary The behavior it is said, Doesn't all stem from their heads But, also from genes that are dreary. (by: Caesar Primus) ---- There once was a man named Hooten Who said he could stop crime and lootin' By marrying away All the single men in a day Would stop all the thievery and shootin'. (by: Caesar Primus) ----- Beedy eyed people with ugly faces, Should be confined to different places, Lombroso felt criminals were atavistic. His theories are now considered ballistic, No longer used in today's cases. (By: Kristen K. Letterman) ------ Cesare Lombroso once said You can tell criminals by their heads Big skulls and beady eyes Means it is no surprise That crime springs from the ways we're bred. (By: Jon'a Meyer)
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It all began with Darwin, He said all is predetermined, Crime being included, His ideas weren't secluded, From those who commited sin. (By: Adam Goess)
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Certain people can be born bad, This is the idea Lombroso had, So, if you look a funky way, Then Lombroso would say, "You're a criminal"; that's pretty sad. (By: Marnee Jackson)
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Lombroso said criminals are born as such, They aren't developed quite as much. He said they have most obvious traits, With one of them being their gaits. They are weird and different from us. (By: Alisa Tavani)
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Lombroso's was a biological theory, His findings were all too "eerie," Animal-like with beady eyes, He believes it tells us why, Which leaves us to be very weary. (By: Jeremy Cerutti, Carol Demo & Tania Estremera-Salas)
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Old Freud was an odd one at best, He said crime springs from mental illness, To Ol' Siggy it seems Crimes escape from our dreams And we all need treatment, he guessed. (by: Jon'a Meyer)
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Sigmund Frued said long ago The id outweighs the superego Behavior explained by the unconsciousness These criminals have a mental illness He developed a few theories and got some dough. (By: Brian Hobson & Dan McGinley)
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Freud once said mental conflict was a 3-step central concept, Society shoves unacceptable notions into the unconscious, Thoughts escape from the unconscious into the conscious, Sensors watch them as thoughts try to outsmart them, To succeed is liberation by indirectly developing themselves, With results of crime being when id outwits the superego. (By: Philip G. Canale)
An explanation of criminal behavior isn't genetic, Edwin Sutherland is the theorist who said it. One proposition of concern Is that criminal behavior is definately learned. His theory of crime, differential association, Can be explained through a process of communication. "Crime is rooted in social organization" Said the man of differential association. (by: LaFonda Armstrong) ----- Sutherland's theory states we learn from our friends, So it's here where a criminal career begins or ends, He tells us that good definitions should be to a plus, So teach good definitions, if not for me, then for us. (By: Jim Waters) ----- Sutherland believes that crime is taught, Regardless if you get away or get caught, Watching your peers you'll begin to yearn, To be like your friends, their techniques you'll learn, This, differential association, was his thought. (By: Marc S. Goldberg) ----- Criminal behavior is learned, Peer gratification is earned, Through communication, We see differential association, Even if friends get burned. (By: R, A & C, a collaborative project) -----
Differential Association Says crimes are committed through motivation. Duration and frequency Intensity and priority And let's not forget learned rationalizations. (By: Moneka Walls)
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Edwin Sutherland had 9 props, Behavior is learned; just ask the cops, You learn from your friends not from books, Friendships with criminals will ensure you're a crook, Leave the bad element and then crime drops. (By: Holly Sullivan & Heather Bannister)
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Sutherland said so many things, To the theory of crime he brings, Committing crime is learned, For rewards quickly earned, To this idea one clings. (By: Evelyn Arcaroli & Kathy Colli)
----- Sykes & Matza's theory of neutralization States that criminals try the decriminalization Of the crimes they commit They don't have to admit By using denial, appeal, and condemnation. (by: K.M.)
----- Sykes and Matza had their theory, It wasn't their fault that they were leary. You can deny the pain, And re-assign the blame, But when you state your point to the judge, it must be done clearly. (By: Anonymous)
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Shaw and Mckay once stated, Crime results from crowding and exposure to delinquents hated. Neighborhood composition changed, People themselves were rearranged. But, crime rates weren't faded. (By: Julie Hoffmann & Nathan Hancock)
Twas once a theorist named Durkheim Who pondered about life all the time "Ah, tis easy," said he "For it is Anomie That leads us all to commit crime." (by: Jon'a Meyer) ----- Durkheim had a theory on Anomie, He was fascinated by tales of different societies, Each society has deviance and crime- All societies, both yours and mine, Therefore, ideas of crime are be based on uniformity. (By: Duane Mashore) -----
From 1858 to 1917 there was Emile Durkheim, He believed that a lack of parameters caused crime. Collective Consciousness is an idea of right and wrong. Anomie is the title of our song!! (By: Donna Hinds & Bridget Potts)
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Once there was a man named Durkeim Who believed every society has deviance and crime. He was labeled the first sociologist Though originally he was an anthropologist. He believed we experience anomie from time to time. (By: Shannon Cabrera, Bob Rogers & Dom Vitale) -----
Agnew was responsible for a theory of anomie, That involves escaping stimuli viewed negatively, He also gives three major types of strain (Situations that could cause pain), Involving the loss of stimuli seen positively. (By: Anonymous) -----
There was a theorist named Agnew who had a smart brain, And characterized a theory related to strain. He focused on juvenile delinquency and kids- Anger was most critical in blowing their lids, Avoiding negative stimuli would lessen their pain. (By: Eve LaForte & Andy Coia)
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Conformity is Merton's first adaptation, Stealing to acquire goals requires innovation, Hard workers are the ritualists, Lazy losers are the retreatists, A rebel's own values and goals are his motivation. (by: Leslie Miller and Nicole Vento) ----- Ours is a material nation, The response to Anomie is of a variation. In ones' attitude toward culture goals. Merton plugged all the holes, For he had a response for every situation. (By: Anonymous) ----- Merton's theory comprises a frame of aspirational reference, Consisting of culturally defined goals and preferences, This social structure phase defines, regulates, and controls, The acceptable modes of achieving these goals, His ideas are extremely intense. (by: Leslie Miller and Nicole Vento) ----- Perhaps crime stems from a type of anomie, If your belief is in accordance to Merton's theory, It's keeping up with the Jones', so he claims, But, we all want more, so who's to blame, If one is a victim because another is greedy? (by: Michelle Hanssen) ----- In one theory of strain, Which racks and picks at our brains, Delinquency may be acquired, Through relationships expired. (By: Carolyn J. Pressley) ----- Strain as the failure to achieve positive goals, Will create a society of frustrated, angry souls, The price of negative and noxious stimuli, May cause many a worthwhile soul to die. (By: Nancy Dunn)
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There are five responses to anomie The first consisting of conformity The people that accept the idea of hard work is ritualism And the people who drop out of the whole game is retreatism Innovation is to achieve the goal and rebellion wants to replace the goal. (By: Bob Nehring & Anthony Vezza)
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There was a guy in the 30's named Merton He invented five principles- of that he was certain. Conformity, imnovation, rebellion, and retreatism, Oh, yeah, don't forget ritualism. That's our funky rhyme, now drop the curtain. (By: Jason Romeo & Dave Blackburn)
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Robert Merton once said, We have a material culture and a big head, If we work hard, it is ritualism, If we do not work hard, it is retreatism, That is why he is so widely read. (By: Anthony Basantis & Huong Quang)
It must have been Thorsten Sellin, Who found neighboring cultures get mean, Often, it's conquerors, Who label newcomers' Acts as criminal and unclean. (by: Jon'a Meyer) -----
Karl Marx' Excellent Words Let's give it up for Karl Marx! Who wouldn't like sleeping in parks. "Give the world to the proles!" "Party on you Lost Souls!" His ideas gave off lots of sparks. (By: Dr. Z)
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Crime is a problem in our nation, The state exists for exploitation, The exploiters are the capitalist state, The came to power to dominate. Crime occurs due to administration. (By: Kristen K. Letterman) ----- Karl Marx's theory of conflict: The "Have's" are always the rich, They sell their goods, The oppressed become "hoods," And the rich rejoice in their profit. (By: Judy Yi) ----- The Marxist theory states, That capitalists we hate, Oppressed by their wealth, We steal for our health, We need to emancipate. (By: Kristen K. Letterman)
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Leviathan Dude and Victim Rights There once was a Limey named Hobbes, Who opined on British law-jobs. "Ain't no law without state!" Now, isn't that great? It's the state gets the fine when one robs. (By: Dr. Z)
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Conflict Of conflict, Navvies say hoxho; They may even say 'anahooti; It's doodah to punch out your brother- Even if he's Bilagodi. (By: Dr. Z) Legend: Navvies is a self-referencer used by the Navajo Indians, hoxho is Navajo for the state that is the flipside of being in harmony, 'anahooti means "to be troubled by it," doodah means "no" (as in it's not a good idea) and Bilagodi means "white man."
Labelling with a self-fulfilling prophesy leads to crime, If you tell people negative things, they'll believe it all the time, When you tell a child he's a criminal, he will become one, And continue committing crimes just for fun, And he'll always believe his label in the back of his mind. (By: Anonymous) ----- There must be opportunity, Before crime can take place fruitfully, Not just any dumb fool, Can snatch the crown jewels, In the end, know-how will be key. (by: Jon'a Meyer) ----- Gottfredson and Hirschi have a story to tell About the nature of criminality, So wake up all you sleepy heads and listen To this theory of reality. It says a man with low self-control wants immediate gratification, So he may make a lasting career in theft and recreation. His "here and now" attitude is disliked by many, And, he may find his stolen car isn't worth one penny, He drives around and yearns for some excitement, Or perhaps a little sexual enlightenment. He begins to reminisce about his ex-wife Misty, Risky thoughts with a shot of whiskey, You see, people with low self control tend To have rocky relationships and can't keep their friends. (By: Kelley Brodie)
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Wilson & Herrnstein said low self-control leads to crime People so low they would steal from the March of Dimes. These people are scum; these people are lame, These people have no remorse; they have no shame. And when these people are caught they will do their time. (By: Shawn Wright & Scott Cairns) -----
My name is James Q. Wilson and I'm here to say, People are doing crimes in a major way, Robbery, murder, theft and rape, All that's positive here is the growing crime rate. (By: Chris Hodrick & Matt Rybacki)
If you enjoyed these limericks and poems, you may wish to look at the mini-AIR homepage. The science limericks appear in the back issues (AIRchives) beginning with July, 1995.
If you have any original Criminology limericks or poetry of your own, please submit them. I'll gladly add them to the collage!
Get back to Jon'a Meyer's Homepage
Jon'a F. Meyer, 856-225-6207
last updated: 9/19/01