Criminality and Violence - Term Paper Example

?Criminology theory Criminology Theory submitted) Criminology Theory Introduction The presence of guns in our society is perhaps among the hottest debated issues not only to ordinary citizens but to politicians and law makers as well. It is not surprising to note that people are always divided when gun is pointed as the reason for the occurrences of robbery, murder, illicit drugs, mass killings and many other forms of crimes. Republican candidate John McCain endorsed owning a gun by individuals but New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg advocates the confiscation of illegal guns and to arrest gun traffickers which is obvious he does not favor gun ownership (Schwartz, 2008). Reason for such division of ideas is attributed to the increasing crimes committed these days by hard criminals, gangs and even ordinary teenagers. In the United States, more than 1.4 million cases accounted for violent crimes and about 15,500 homicides were reported (Schaefer, 2006). History has it that several prominent people like President James Garfield, President William McKinley, and President John Kennedy were all assassinated by criminals hired or not. Actors, actresses, singers and other talented individuals were also their easy targets. The irony of being killed and to kill is that it does not select victims. Even teenager these days are linked in killing innocent victims of their age. Recently, several mass shootings took place in workplaces and schools. The massacre in Littleton, Colorado in 1999, in Virginia Tech University with almost 50 victims and in Omaha Westwood Mall shocked a majority of the American population. Such incidences created various reactions and notions on crime, criminals involved, and punishments accorded them. To understand criminal events, the following questions are addressed: 1. What are the causes of school shootings? 2. How theories are utilized to predict and prevent the likelihood of similar crime to occur in the future? 3. What are the recommended penalties for the criminals involved in the crime? Body Etiology Crimes happen if criminal laws are violated and that it needs for that act to be penalized. School shootings are a form of crime thus involved teenagers should be held liable for their actions whatever reasons triggered them to do so. Since school shootings became common in the United States, experts start to identify causative factors in the commission of the crime. Accordingly, they believe that one reason is the role of popular Medias such as television, films, video games, and comic books. These kinds of exposure to children and teenagers have a great impact on how they behave within the society. The study of Buckingham (2000) supports such idea in arguing that the media provides a negative influence on children. He further explained that children are no longer protected from the violent world of adults. Gone are the days where films are not as violent these days. It is a common knowledge that modern films today are full of shootings, murders, rape scenes, and other violent scenarios which in turn influence the behavior of children to become aggressive. More so if the shooting is carried out by the main character of the film. The portrayed character is then executed by children either to their family, friends or classmates in school. Children become active agents rather than victims (Chandler, 2004). Although some claim those video games makes the mind of children alert and improves visual attention, not everybody agrees to it. Experts say that such advantages are outweighed with the negative effects it gives the children. Not only video games play a role in obesity, inattentiveness in school and poor performance but it is implicated in aggressive thoughts and feelings. Video games are good teachers thus children can learn from them easily. The study of Gentile (2009) reveals those teenagers who are exposed to violent video games show desensitization of emotions. This is because they are already used to the violent scenes in the video games. This might be the reason why the killers in Columbine shooting did not show sympathy to their victims and went on shooting until they killed several of the students. Another cause of violent shooting is pressures which may trigger the occurrence of stress. Pressures could be derived from the school. It could be from the teacher, classmates, school policies, and the course itself. Some public schools in the United States require students to observe dress code where students have to wear uniforms, formal clothes or “proper attire”. Such demand of the school may put pressure on students since some may not be comfortable to be in those clothes. Others might not afford to buy such kind of clothing or it may be unthinkable for them to wear the required dress. Small things as it might be but it has a great impact on resilient students. Apart from the pressure of dress code, course requirements like assignments and other school workloads may likewise cause stress on the psychological dimension of the students. The need to conform to the norms and of the school’s rules and regulations is enough to pose as stressors to the students. When students cannot meet the demands of their study, this may result to stress. Stress according to Selye is “nonspecific response of the body to the demands made upon it” which could cause physical, social and psychological discomfort (Billings & Stokes, 1987). Although, stress is inevitable in our daily life, there are times when an individual may react to stressors differently at certain times such as becoming outrageous. Such claim is related to the changes in our stress hormones which in turn increases stress level threatening the coping mechanism of the individual. The individual’s mechanism may become maladaptive. As a result, he may resort to undesirable behavior which could be to shoot or kill. The demand of life is one thing to blame for the presence of stress not only to parents but more so among adolescents. The present world is full of competition where one has to learn to live it. However, not everybody can cope with the demands of the society. Areas of competition could include education, career, position in a workplace, school achievements, and many others. Opportunities in these sectors are often times scarce so that even if a student gives her best in the hope to land a place in those areas, it is not a guarantee. This scenario depicts the “survival of the fittest” society. Consequently, individuals who are not given the chance to any opportunities offered by the society may experience frustration, despair and anger which might be expressed in other ways to escape painful reality. This is likened to the hara-kiri of Japan known as ending one’s life where hara-kiri is use to get attention, or as a ‘cry for help” or to express distress (Demircin, 2010). However, if the needed help is not given or the person is oppressed of any support, the person turns to hara-kiri which is a more acceptable way of ending agony. In like manner, adolescents who feel it is unfair to live on this earth, who are experiencing great disappointments and disproportionate anxiety who are not attended to may direct their frustration into violent means. It is interesting to compare such notion in one of the comment from the articles compiled in the “voices from the Hellmouth” where it was mentioned that one learns to hate as a result of “exclusion after exclusion day after day” (JonKatz, 1999). This might refer to a strict policy of the school. The killers might have been predicted that time may come they will be next to be expelled from their school. Their thought might have caused their hatred to grow tremendously which is difficult to handle on their own until it burst to stage a shooting. Obviously, stress is not the only factor to trigger the outrageous reaction of the killers in Columbine high school but hatred as well. Substance abuse such as drinking and smoking play a part in committing violence since it is related with violent behavior (Johnson & Belfer, 1995). In today’s society, the lifestyle of adolescents makes them vulnerable to robbery, treason, and most especially to killings. Perhaps because most teenagers are involved in alcoholism and drug use like cocaine, marijuana, cracks, amphetamines, and other forms of drugs. Thus, they become uninterested to attend school and even neglect their health to the extent of being dissociated from their friends and families. Their interpersonal relationship with their parents and other members become dysfunctional since most of the time they are with their gangs drinking or having “pot sessions”. This kind of practice pulls them to have quality time with their loves ones and from being guided by their parents. Psychedelic drugs are pinpointed to be a menace to the individual because it alters the psychological functioning of the person. It changes perception to produce hallucination. Along this line, the person under its influence could execute violent killing. Alcohol misuse conjointly enforces the same effect on the person. It is alarming that the study conducted by the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration found out that juveniles in the United States could consume 20% of alcohol drinks. Other reports reveal that almost one third of the children aged 12- 20 consume alcohol. Estimate discloses that nearly 11 million children are alcohol consumers. More than 7000 children drink alcohol every day. In this connection, countries with high prevalence of drinking have higher alcohol related violence (Bye & Rossow, 2009). Although, to most, alcohol is claimed to increase the sense of sociability and well being of an individual, it is no doubt exerts depressive effect. The person may become emotionally unstable and may become outrageous. All of which culminates in event like school shooting. Prediction and Prevention Looking at the assumption of the social learning theory, it states that people learn from others through copying. However, behavior is learned from modeling when the person who wants to imitate the behavior pays attention, has the ability to retain the behavior, reproduce the behavior or can perform it even with the absence of the model, and is motivated to perform the behavior (Krebs & Blackman, 1988). Because of such postulation, family as a differential association should exert an effort to provide proper guidance and socialization to its members especially the children who are most vulnerable to temptations. For instance, family should spend quality time together, have fun and happy bonding. Since influence outside the family appear to have a stronger effect on violence and delinquency among adolescents (Fagan & Wexler, 2006), good relationship of parents to their children may save them from such influence. It may also lessen their time spent in front of the computer playing violent videos or watching “bad” television shows. Ironically, not all families provide a relationship conducive for children to grow and learn to become a contributing citizen of the society. Families with working parents cannot establish a satisfying relationship with their children. This is because they appear to be inclined with their work and neglect their children. In addition, they spend more time in their work and in the development of their career than in their homes. Although, care takers are hired to take care of their children, it can never substitute the care and love provided by parents. It might even be detrimental to leave the children under their care as sometimes caretakers impose their own defective rules on children. Some are cruel and may inflict not only physical but psychological damage. As a result, their children’s emotional, psychological needs, and the proper guidance needed is not attended (Rakshit, 2011). Children with unsatisfactory family socialization may display defective behavior and may engage in school shootings. The background of the family is yet another factor to consider in relation to commission of violence. Children with divorced parents are likely to suffer physically, emotionally and psychologically. It is either that they live with one parent, relatives, or caretakers in the institution. This arrangement confuses, and exploits children and they may receive punishments or abuse from their caretakers. It is sad to remark that caretakers are least bothered with their welfare and sometimes torture them to the maximum (Cunningham, 1995). The social learning theory posits that children who are exposed to such environment may also demonstrate the same cruel behavior as they live their life in the society. Children who observe their parents, who smoke drugs, fight frequently and drink will pattern their life after those behaviors. Such orientation is considered as normal to them although it is a deviation from the norm. Parents who are engaged in illicit profession such as hired killer, drug trafficker, theft and similar jobs creates an undesirable environment that will be copied by their children. This paints a scene to exhibit the saying “like father like son” (Gregory, 2009). The idea of social learning theory also made the parents of children studying in Texas school react when they learned that teachers working in those schools are armed with gun. No matter what their reasons are, to parents having guns in school does not only pose danger when it accidentally goes off (Mckinley, 2008) but it may also influence the behavior of students to carry guns too. Because the social learning theory indicates that behavior is learned from others regardless if it is good or bad, negative behaviors could still be modified as implicated in the behavior modification theory. One way of doing this is to develop a program for children who bully in school with the goal to substitute unacceptable behavior into acceptable ones. This strategy is more effective if it is accompanied with reinforcement whether positive or negative. A bullying child can be offered to watch his favorite television show if he behaves however will be sent out of the class if he begins to be a nuisance. The child should also be treated like anyone in the classroom. Added to this is the role of parents to teach their children proper behavior inside and outside the family. It should not be forgotten that modifying a child’s behavior is not a function of one but a collaboration of people who interact with the child to include parents, teachers, and peers (Santrock & Yussen, 1984). This stratagem provides the child the idea that behavior is followed with positive or negative consequences which could be his basis for his future behavior. Recommended Criminal Justice Response After considering the etiology and theory involved in criminality and violence, teenagers involved should be handled with care. Although, it seems unfair to others not to apply the same rule of law, the process of hearings in court alone proves more futile with their young age. In the study of MacGrath (2009) among juvenile offenders in New South Wales, he found out in his survey that court hearings are considered deterrent to participants. It was further found out that those juveniles who are stigmatized during the court hearing are likely to reoffend if they come out of the prison cell. Along this line, juvenile delinquents should not be mixed with hard criminals because they will be labeled as criminals. Such label gives them the tendency to live like a criminal and repeat the offense. Apart from this, teenagers who are mixed with adult criminals have the tendency to be abused and even be killed. Instead they should be isolated in a confinement where they have to undergo modification of behavior. This method may refine the behavior of teenagers to become useful again in the society and not a liability anymore. Some States find community supervision as a better alternative because it meets the needs of the offenders (Shoemaker, 2008). Probation provides juvenile delinquents the proper management since they are given counseling that may change their behavior. Risks are identified and appropriate management is planned. Support from the staffs and other groups associated with the service are available. Many activities are also provided to address isolation and deprivation of social and emotional needs. These privileges cannot be found in locked prison cells. Conclusion It is clear that criminality and violence like school shooting is learned from the environment the person is exposed to as explained in the social learning theory. Behaviors that are negative could be modified as indicated in the behavior modification theory. The incidences of previous mass shootings had a relative impact on the behavior of killers in Columbine High school. The role of learning and modification is reflected in the statement of Watson, a psychologist which was emphasized on his quoted statement: “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train them to becomes any type of specialist I might select- doctor, lawyer, artists, merchant-chief, and yes, even a beggar man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchant, tendencies, abilities, vocation, and race of ancestors” (AP psychology, n.d). Over all, social learning and behavioral modification theories are important to explain the school shooting event to handle similar event effectively that may happen in the future. Sources Cited Billing, D., & Stokes, L., (1987). 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