The phenomenon of crime: historical, theoretical and anthropological aspects

Vitaly Balakhonsky

UDC

343.9.01

VAK Russia

5.1.4 5.7.2

THE PHENOMENON OF CRIME: HISTORICAL, THEORETICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASPECTS The phenomenon of crime: historical, theoretical and anthropological aspects

АА Аа

Published in Russian Journal of Deviant Behavior · Pages 212–225 · Rubric: Anthropology of deviant behavior

Received: 14.06.2026 Accepted: 06.07.2026 Published: 30.07.2026

Authors

Vitaly Balakhonsky

ORCID

Vitaly Balakhonsky

Academic degree: doctor of philosophical sciences

Science rang: professor ; academician author.academy_titles.37

Russian Federation

ORCID

ABSTRACT

The article examines the methodological, historical-theoretical and anthropological aspects of the aca- demic analysis of crime as a social phenomenon. Introduction. The relevance of the topic under consideration is determined by its significance for maintaining law and order in society, organising the fight against crime, and minimising the scope of its occurrence. Contemporary academic literature lacks sufficient works devoted to the study of theoretical issues concerning the nature of legal deviance, which significantly limits the possibilities for law enforcement. The research object is the social phenomenon of crime. The subject of the study is the anthropological causes that give rise to crime. The article aims to elucidate the nature and essence of the anthropological determinants of unlawful deviance. Achieving this aim involves addressing the following research objectives: to analyse and summarise the historical-theoretical, sociological, criminological and psychological approaches to understanding the nature of crime as presented in the academic literature; to elucidate the role of biological and psychological characteristics of human nature in the genesis and reproduction of criminal acts; to examine the possibilities for the methodological application of the principle of variability in studying the characteristics of perpetrators of unlawful acts; to reveal the dialectical interrelationship between the determinants of the phenomenon of crime and the forms in which it manifests itself at both the individual and societal levels. Methods. This study is based on a detailed examination of the heuristic potential of dialectical, phenomenological, systems-based, historical and logical methods as applied to the specific nature of the study of legal deviations. Results. The article sets out the case for distinguishing between two levels of psychological variability in individuals who commit unlawful acts: the individual level and the mass level. At the individual level, specific personality and psychological characteristics of the perpetrator – the individual – are key determinants of legal deviance. To elucidate the characteristics of the mass level of psychological variability in perpetrators of unlawful acts, a more detailed specification of the basis for constructing their typology is required. Taking mass typology into account when determining the psychological variability of the perpetrator of unlawful acts makes it possible to reveal the motivational link between the behavior of offenders and the psychological orientation towards the perception of social reality that has developed within a particular community. The theoretical significance of this approach lies in its ability to avoid oversimplification and one-sidedness in understanding the nature and specific manifestations of the phenomenon of crime, whilst its practical significance lies in the possibility of its methodological application in the organisation of law enforcement activities.

KEYWORDS

crime, anthropology, deviance, society, determination, psychological typology, ethno-psychological characteristics

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GOST

Balakhonsky V. V. The phenomenon of crime: historical, theoretical and anthropological aspects // Russian Journal of Deviant Behavior. 2026. no. 2. pp. 212-225. (Date of access 06.09.2026).

MLA

Vitaly Balakhonsky. "The phenomenon of crime: historical, theoretical and anthropological aspects." Russian Journal of Deviant Behavior 6.2 (2026): 212-225.

APA

Balakhonsky V. V. (2026). The phenomenon of crime: historical, theoretical and anthropological aspects. Russian Journal of Deviant Behavior, 6(2), 212-225.

Chicago

Vitaly Balakhonsky. "The phenomenon of crime: historical, theoretical and anthropological aspects." Russian Journal of Deviant Behavior 6, no. 2 (2026): 212-225.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Balakhonsky V. V. | title = The phenomenon of crime: historical, theoretical and anthropological aspects | journal = Russian Journal of Deviant Behavior | year = 2026 | volume = 6 | issue = 2 | pages = 212-225 }}

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