Skip to Main Content

How to use specific theories

Below you will find a list of some of the theories that have been used in Criminal Justice & Security research in the past. You can search for more information on each theory by following the steps outlined in the following Quick Answer:

Please keep in mind that this list of theories is not exhaustive. You can find other relevant theories by browsing in databases and reading scholarly literature.  

Theories for Criminal Justice & Security

  • Attachment Theory
  • Behavioral Theory
  • Biological Positivism Theory
  • Black Feminist Theory
  • Cognitive Theory
  • Communication Accommodation Theory
  • Contact Theory
  • Containment Theory
  • Critical Race Theory
  • Cultural Transmission Theory
  • Deterrence Theory
  • Differential Association Theory
  • Family Disruption Theory
  • Gender-Based Theory
  • Importation Theory
  • Integrated Theory
  • Intersectional Theory
  • Labeling Theory
  • Left Realism Theory
  • Lifestyle Theory
  • Life Course Theory
  • Marxist/Conflict Theory
  • Modernization Slavery Theory
  • Polarity Management Theory
  • Protection Motivation Theory
  • Psychodynamic Theory
  • Rational Choice Theory 
  • Routine Active Theory
  • Self-Control Theory
  • Self-Efficacy Theory
  • Social Bond Theory
  • Social Conflict Theory
  • Social Construction Theory
  • Social Control Theory
  • Social Disorganization Theory
  • Social Ecology Theory
  • Social Learning Theory
  • Socio-biological Theory
  • Square of Crime Theory
  • Strain Theories
  • Symbolic Interaction Theory
  • Theory of Arrest