The Responsibilities - Essay Example

Responsibilisation By Other of Introduction The threat of insecurity is an issue that has become a concern to everybody in the contemporary society. This has given rise to both national and local policy initiatives aimed at uplifting welfare and controlling crime. Security is a very weighty issue in the contemporary society, and it is connected to the various domains of life such as personal well-being, social life and political matters. Social policy and welfare is convenient in controlling the worlds of crime and welfare (Dean, 2006). Social policy and welfare is a diverse subject that encompasses issues of social inequality, well-being, poverty, crime or harm, health, welfare services, housing facilities, as well as environmental degradation. However, relationships between security and insecurity are dynamic. These fluctuations have dire consequences and implications on social policies and practices that create security among people in the society. Therefore, personal responsibility and social policy should be interconnected in the quest for security and well-being in dealing with social uncertainties and reactions to those fears in relation to insecurities such as housing, families and transport as well as the regulation of social behavior, war and disease (Cochrane & Talbot, 2008) The relationship between social welfare, crime control policy and the process of responsibilisation According to (Dean, 2006), the primary function of social policy is to offer principles, guidelines, activities and legislation that determine or control the living status which is in line with the people’s welfare. It is concerned with how societies respond to social need. As such, social policy and welfare encompasses the aspects of life that are essential for existence and identify the means through which they can be offered. In many countries around the globe, social policy deals with society problems. Many countries engage in increasing the scope of criminal law and strengthen the institutions that deal with the criminal justice. However, the role of an individual in acquiring security if often overlooked. In the past years, the security officers in the state implemented social welfare and crime control policy. A Dean (2006) note that citizens often assume that it is the duty of the government to offer them security through crime control and punishment policies. However, the police are inadequate due to high population especially in urban centers. It is crucial to foster individual responsibility in relation to social security in seeking human welfare and improve human needs such as health, housing, education, employment, child protection, crime and criminal justice. The social aspects listed above influence security and well-being a great deal and thus people need to be responsible in uplifting their well-being. According to (Whiteford, 2010), the idea of responsibilisation grasps moral authority over oneself such that an individual is able to make right choices. Therefore, anybody who makes wrong decisions is barely irresponsible. In this regard, committing a crime is based on lack of responsibility rather than the structural issues or lack of opportunities. For that reason, personal responsibility is vital to security achievement since, it determines the kind of decisions made by individuals: whether to be involved in crime or not. Religion is very significant in encouraging responsibilisation. Every region around the world preaches moral human behavior, unity and harmony as people live together. On the other hand, social policy presents the guidelines that manage human behavior. Therefore, if people in the society regard their religions, thus understand what is right, and wrong behavior, there could be no problems of crime. Social policies may only regulate its practice or rather punish lawbreakers. In this manner, security will be achievable since people do not need rules that surround social issues. They will understand that security is about their well-being and hence strive to achieve it (Dean, 2006). Social policy is manifested in the search for security through physical prevention. This entails eliminating chances of committing crime by removing physical opportunities. For instance, the police are used to offering crime prevention information to the public through local authorities. People are advised to take responsibility regarding locks and bolts for their houses. In addition, nations have embraced the safe city programmes by investing in street lighting systems, putting videophone entry systems in estates and CCTVs (Cochrane & Talbot, 2008). However, not all areas have the security measures mentioned above in place. People are warned to avoid walking at night since many crimes occur at night. It is prudent to take responsibility for one’s own well-being in regards to security matters and thus strive to eliminate opportunities for burglary, robbery and even murder. Nowadays, architectural responsibility is encouraged among those constructing their own apartments (Dean, 2006). It is significant to embrace bold architecture with less or no walkways between blocks, especially for high-rise apartments, to eliminate routes through which burglars escape. It also helps in surveillance since apartments are packed together and one person is able to survey the entire area with ease. Nevertheless, it is ease to keep off the opportunistic offenders who take advantage of an open window to escape. In this regard, petty thieves and household burglars may be the major focus for prevention of crime where individuals ought to take responsibility in preventing such crimes. On the other hand, security forces will survey professional offenders who are hard to trace. This social policyis intertwined with individual responsibility with the aim of achieving security. According to (Whiteford, 2010), social prevention is very vital and it is concerned with consolidating the society to restore informal surveillance and communalcrime control systems. It involves neighborhoods taking charge for their security. Community groups have been recruited in some nations faced with security mayhem to take part in the implementation of crime prevention policies. As much as the government gives priority to structures that reinforce the role of the policy, the society should be involved through the watch schemes. The police should get information from the society while they play the role of a leading agency. In this manner, individuals are able to survey streets and keep the police informed about any suspicious activities in the area or even the presence of unfamiliar persons. Therefore, the police are able to retain their autonomy in crime control while incorporating individual responsibility in security matters (Cochrane & Talbot, 2008) In reference to (Whiteford, 2010), social inclusion is significant in the process of responsibilisation. For instance, if the homeless population has access to education, training and employment, these people will become responsible citizens through better living standards. Therefore, as much as personal decisions are determined by the level of responsibility, social well-being is a key factor in security achievement. According to (Cochrane & Talbot, 2008), expansion of legal regulation rather than direct intervention may influence social and institutional behavior positively. Crime occurrences are encouraged by a wide range of problems such as youth problems, drugs, homelessness, unemployment, street delinquency, overpopulation and other social evils. The government has the responsibility of addressing social problems to attain better living standards for the citizens. Crime in inevitable in a low status society and individual responsibility towards security may be tough to achieve. Crime may be deterred by first identifying the risk factors that turn into crime later. It is prudent for the government to raise a society that is satisfied in regards to well-being, as this is an authentic solution to social evils as well as insecurity. Therefore, the social policy makers should aim at eliminating the core causes of insecurity in order to achieve responsibilisation. Thais can be done by encouraging and supporting positive behavior, monitoring individuals with difficulties and carrying out behavior management especially among the youth (Whiteford, 2010). Conclusion The idea of incorporating the security bodies, the local council and community groups will go a long way to work out an integrated policy for crime control and prevention. This includes both physical and social initiatives as approaches to crime control. It is clear that the police’s primary objective is to prevent crime. However, some factors that affect crime are beyond their control since they are outside their domain of intelligence. This means that the issue of security cannot be left to them alone and hence it should be a task to the entire community. It is prudent for every citizen and all stakeholders whose policies may deter crime to contribute towards the achievement of security. The social welfare and crime control policies put in place should encourage responsibilisation. It is notable that while security may incorporate policing and crime control; it should be understood more widely in terms of individual welfare and well-being. References Cochrane, A. & Talbot, D. (Eds) 2008, Security: welfare, crime and society. The Open University: The Open University Press. Dean, H. 2006, Social Policy. Cambridge: Polity Press Whiteford, M. 2010, Hot tea, dry toast and the responsibilisation of homeless people. Social Policy and Society, Vol. 9, No. 2, Pp. 193–205 Read More