Normally there are one or more reasons behind crime. We can call it a motive or intention. The criminologists mainly accept the following causes for the crime. 

1 Family Causes 

Broken homes are also the cause of crime. Whatever atmosphere a man finds in his family, he acts in the light of that. The family is the first school of every man. 
For crimes, mainly the following family circumstances are treated as more responsible. 
(a) Lack of control of family head 
(b) Dissolution of family 
(c) Negligence towards relations 
(d) Lack of Association 
(e) emotional tension 
Donald R Taft has to say that in the majority of families, the parents themselves include their children towards crime For example order children to say on the phone that the father is not at home. Sometimes parents teach their child to tell lie which makes a habit in the child to tell lie. 

2 Physical cause 

Lombroso was of the opinion that the physical and mental condition of the criminals is different from that of normal persons. The person in the age group of 15 to 20 years commits a normal crime while a person in the age group of 25 to 26 commits a serious crime. In a study, it was found that man commits more crime than females. The physical constitution, shape, composition, of a man is also causes of crime. 

3 Negative Social Environment

Who we’re around can influence who we are. Just being in a high-crime neighborhood can increase our chances of turning to crime ourselves. A man spends his whole life in the society and therefore, what type of atmosphere he finds in society; he adopts himself according to that atmosphere. If society has a criminal background then the person belonging to that society will also be criminal. 

4 Education

Conforming to Merton's earlier sociological theories, a survey of inmates in state prisons in the late 1990s showed very low education levels. Many could not read or write above elementary school levels, if at all. The most common crimes committed by these inmates were robbery, burglary, automobile theft, drug trafficking, and shoplifting. Because of their poor educational backgrounds, their employment histories consisted of mostly low wage jobs with frequent periods of unemployment.

5 Economic Causes 

Poverty, lack of money, economic causes of crime. When a family is in an economic crisis then the members get involved in theft, prostitution, immorality. 
The Lust, greed, selfishness and the desire to earn more wealth are the instincts in man which give birth to crime, theft looting, and dacoity.

6 Political Causes 

There are political causes of crimes also. It has become a normal notion of the people that most of the criminals get the protection from political leaders. Such people commit a crime without any fear because the government and the administration cannot do anything for them. 

7 Psychological causes 

The Psychological cause of crime also occupies an important place. Ego means the awareness of a man towards his personality. For Instance, hunger, thrust, and sex are the natural desires in a man. 
The psychologists have also said that the instinct of criminality is much more in men rather than in women. 
People of sentimental instability are not able to take timely and correct decisions and therefore, they move towards crimes.