A key feature of sociological theories of crime is?

• A. They explain crime solely through individual pathology.
• B. They examine structural factors like poverty, culture, and institutions.
• C. They reject any role for social environment.
• D. They propose crime is determined by biology.

Answer: (B)

Social factors shape crime, so a key feature is examining structural factors like poverty, culture, and institutions. Sociological theories look at how the way society is organized affects opportunities, norms, and behavior—things such as economic inequality, neighborhood conditions, family dynamics, education systems, and the criminal justice system. This focus on the social environment explains patterns of crime beyond individual differences or biology. The other ideas describe crime as arising solely from the individual or from biology, or deny any role for social context, which doesn’t fit sociological explanations. So the best choice is the one that centers structural factors in society.