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Which of the following is an assumption of psychological and psychiatric theories of crime causation?

A) Criminal behavior is solely determined by genetics.
B) Environmental factors play no role in criminal behavior.
C) Mental illness is the primary cause of criminality.
D) Societal structures are the main contributors to crime.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Psychological and psychiatric theories do not assume crime is solely determined by genetics or environmental factors, posit that mental illness is the primary cause, or claim societal structures are the main contributors; they consider a mix of social and economic conditions as influential.

Step-by-step explanation:

Psychological and psychiatric theories of crime causation generally make certain assumptions about the factors influencing criminal behavior. These theories do not exclusively attribute crime to genetic determinism or suggest that environmental factors have no role. Neither do they posit that mental illness is the sole cause of criminality, nor claim that societal structures are the only contributors to crime. Instead, many of these theories, such as the Social Disorganization Theory and Conflict Theory, recognize that environmental factors, particularly those related to social and economic conditions, play a significant role in facilitating or discouraging criminal behavior. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that while there may be a higher prevalence of criminal behavior among people from certain neighborhoods with specific demographic and economic profiles, this is not exclusively tied to ethnicity or genetics.

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