The illegal taking of wildlife: Toward a theoretical understanding of poaching

Abstract

Many types of serious, as well as less serious, crimes have attracted the attention of sociologists and criminologists. However, despite its detrimental effect upon wildlife populations, social science researchers have devoted scant attention to the study of poaching and poachers. Identification of the specific motivations for poaching is necessary for wildlife agencies to effectively address the problem. Despite a paucity of literature on the topic, several sociological studies have been done which provide support for Sutherland's differential association theory (Sutherland & Cressey, 1960) and Sykes and Matza's (1957) neutralization theory as explanations for poaching. This paper reviews literature on poaching and suggests theoretical and methodological advancements that will help to refine our knowledge of the phenomenon. Specific directions for future research on the motivations to poach are discussed.