These two paradigms emanate from the consensus perspective and conflict perspective in criminology, respectively. The behavioral paradigm, which is used to describe the nature, extent, and causes of criminal behavior, is associated with the positivist school which emphasizes the cause-effect relation between man and his environment. Positivism has led to the development of biological, psychological, and sociological theories. Some studies guided by the behavioral paradigm include prediction of crime and juvenile delinquency, treatment typologies and evaluations, and comparisons of criminals and noncriminals. The definitional paradigm is based on the assumption that crime should be seen as a legal definition, label, or status. The conflict theory and radical theory emanate from this paradigm. Studies based on the definitional paradigm focus on the processes whereby behaviors are classified as criminal. While criminology in South Africa is dominated by positivism, this author recommends that the behavioral and definitional paradigms be used in a complementary manner in future research. 1 figure, 10 notes, and 25 references