Chapter Three introduces the student to different perspectives in criminological theory. The reader learns what a perspective is, where people acquire their perspective, and how the perspective affects explanations of crime. Then, three types of perspectives are offered and discussed, including disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary perspectives. I show that theories based on an interdisciplinary perspective are more useful for advancing our understanding of criminal behavior, and then offer an integrated systems approach for studying crime. This approach is compared with the more dominant schools of thought in criminological theory - the Classical School, which posited that human behavior is freely chosen and based on the ratio of pleasure to pain, and the Positive School, which posited that human behavior is caused by factors beyond the control of individuals.
Chapter Four begins the process of identifying factors which are related to criminality.
Then, findings from studies of criminality at the cell level are discussed. Finally, given the relative validity of the studies, and the main propositions are evaluated using the criteria from Chapter One. I conclude by outlining policy implications for crime control and crime prevention. Chapter Five continues the identification of factors which are related to criminality. Finally, given the relative validity of the studies, I will outline policy implications for crime control and crime prevention.