The Social Roots Of Crime - 2091 Words

Introduction Crime is one of the most important, yet least understood social problems in society. The public’s knowledge about crime is often based on a host of myths and misperceptions. Crime is often treated as an individualistic phenomenon. (Esposito, 2013) The social roots of crime are often ignored; this is why a sociological approach to criminology is important. Crime is an action/behavior that is considered particularly harmful and thus formally banned by a criminal law. Americans are either indifferent or in favor of capital punishment, although public support for the death penalty has been declining (Esposito, 2013).Typical reasons given by supporters of Capital punishment; provides closure for grieving families, retribution and serves as a deterrent. Capital punishment is cost effective for example tax payers should not have to pay for killers to live behind bars. Possibilities for wrongful conviction has decreased. Jeffery Reiman is an American philosopher who wrote the book titled The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison. Jeffery Reiman argued that the criminal justice system was designed to fail. The criminal justice system is a system whose purpose is ensures laws that prosecute criminal offenders, upholds social control, deterrence and justify crime. Reiman stated in his book that the criminal justice system criminalizes non-violent offenses such as drug use and prostitution, gives people prison sentences that are harsh and demeaning, charges andShow MoreRelatedUsing Material from Item a and Elsewhere, Assess Sociological Views of Crime Reduction Strategies.841 Words   |  4 Pageselsewhere, assess sociological views of crime reduction strategies. (21 marks). There are numerous different types of strategies for crime reduction. These include crime prevention tactics which are suitable for whole societies, and also forms of punishment which are suitable for individuals. Crime prevention strategies include situational crime prevention, environmental crime prevention, and social and community crime prevention. Ron Clark describes situational crime prevention as ‘a pre-emptive approachRead MoreAssess the Sociological Perspectives on Crime Prevention. [20 Marks]769 Words   |  4 PagesThe effectiveness of crime prevention strategies has increased in recent years and many sociologists believe that this is the result of society instilling tougher punishments upon its’ members. Despite this, there are many other approaches that attempt to reduce crime. However, they also have their limitations. Clarke believes that situational crime prevention is an approach that focuses on reducing the opportunities for crime to occur rather than improving society’s institutions. This isRead MoreThe Deviance Behind Drunk Driving Essay1442 Words   |  6 Pages(under conforming). When applying the subject of crime to a type of deviance, it falls under the negative category because those who under conform in society have a tendency to reach their goals with non-accepted means. Considering the crime of drunk driving, many factors add up to develop a reason why so many people do it. Merton’s strain theory perspective explains the deviance behind drunk driving very well, using its’ assumptions, key focuses, and root of deviant acts to support it. Before focusingRead MoreCriminal Justice, Social, And Cultural Theories988 Words   |  4 Pages After a crime happens, it is easy for the news audience to say â€Å"that is just the way it is† or â€Å"I understand why the person committed those actions, yet crime should never be ignored or sensationalized. When finding the motives for crimes, one is able to compare the crime to biological, social, and cultural theories (Hendrix, 41). Specifically, the sociocultural theories (Hendrix 43) will be reviewed as different crimes are discussed. Yet, these sociocultural theories differ from each other, andRead MoreCriminology Theories1039 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Criminology† is the study of crime from a social perspective by researching the nature and management of crime and the social impact of crime on society involving the causes and consequences behind the matter. This is a generalised explanation of what â€Å"Criminology† involves as it is too difficult to create an exact definition because the topic is so complex from continuous growing historical roots and evolving theories which will be explored within the main body of this essay. It is said by SutherlandRead MoreLocal Crim e Prevention Program1108 Words   |  4 PagesLocal Crime Prevention The name of the crime prevention program The name of the program is Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives. It is head quartered in Golden, Colorado. Their primary focus is to prevent at risk youth from joining gangs and educate the public about warnings signs for recruitment activity. (Our Programs, 2012) (Worrall, 2008) A description of the components of the program (i.e., the length of time to complete the program, who are the participants, who teaches the program, andRead MoreWelfare Programs Cause Crime Essay503 Words   |  3 PagesControlling violent crime is largely a state and local responsibility, declare Robert Moffit, Edwin Meese, and Patrick Fagan of the Heritage Foundation. State and local officials, they say, should take the initiative to identify and target the hard-core criminals who are committing the majority of crimes and implement tough policies to put them behind bars and keep them there. Mounting evidence shows that this approach works. Attacking the root causes of crime also makes sense, providedRead MoreDefinition Of Differential Association Theory917 Words   |  4 Pagesdo not just commit crimes or know what to do they watch others around them and the environment that they live in to teach them certain behaviors. This theory came about when Shaw and McKay discussed the Chicago school theory and how in certain neighborhoods and community crime rates were so high for different reason resulting in criminal activity. This is the result of the lack of social organization in a neighborhood and community. This will be similar to Shaw and McKay social disorganization theoryRead MoreRape Statistics1600 Words   |  7 Pagesbe a person to come in contact with one. Talking to the different individuals involved with the student case, I decided to do my research paper on rap victim. Specifically, I am looking at how the likelihood of being the victim of a violent crime in the United States is related to gender and race of the victim. The raw data is readily available from the US department of Justice min cooperation with the US Department of Health and Human Services. The Bureau of Justice Statistics and the CentersRead MoreSocial Disorganization839 Words   |  4 PagesSOUTHERN CARIBBEAN MARACAS ROYAL ROAD, MARACAS, ST. JOSEPH Social Disorganization An assignment Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course SOCI 325 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY INSTRUCTOR: Mr.Lloyd Johnson By Tekeisha Charles 9th February 2016 Approval............................ Question 1 Why is the social disorganization theory for the most part, relegated to specific areas in the society? Social disorganization is defined as an inability of community