The book does not delve into the psychology of policing, courts, and corrections or cover the psychological literature devoted to therapeutic techniques of counseling and psychotherapy for criminals. Instead, the book builds on the historical evolution of psychological crime theories. The analysis questions the tendency of some psychologically based theories of crime to use theoretical concepts without providing the context in which these concepts originated. The authors attempt to provide a historical and theoretical context for psychological theories of crime and to show major differences between psychological perspectives. Accordingly, the book is divided into chapters that focus on psychoanalytic, trait, learning, cognitive, existential, and phenomenological psychological perspectives. New directions for studying the psychology of crime are noted that encompass transpersonal, feminist, and peacemaking psychological perspectives. References and illustrations