Causes of crime are the subject of the etiology of criminal behavior, which is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach. There are many theories attempting to explain the determinants of criminal behavior, a set of acts recognized by criminal law, which emphasize different aspects of this phenomenon.

In the works of ancient philosophers Homer and Aristotle are indications of the negative mental and physical anomalies that may stimulate individuals to commit crimes. Such concepts are defined as physiognomic and phrenological. In the Middle Ages, a person’s ugliness, defined by a crippled and disfigured face, was considered as an indication of the demonological nature, possession by the devil or being marked by God. This stigma could contribute to frustration, aggression, and crime. Phrenology—popularized in the 18th and 19th ...