Theories of Criminal Behavior - Assignment Example

Criminal Theories Table of Contents Question 1: Effect of Labels on Individual and Crime Deviant labeling can have an intense, damaging effect on the individual’s social reputation and can therefore be a vital step in putting up an unwavering model of deviant activities. As a result of the pervasive cultural descriptions linked with deviant types, individuals are inclined to presume that deviants have adverse features supposedly linked to their type. According to Lemert’s well-known conceptualization of resultant deviance, deviant behavior attitude can be a way of resistance, assault, or adjustment to the obvious as well as hidden issues developed by the communal response to major deviation. The labeling of a person as criminal can have major damaging consequences with respect to both self-perception as well as communal response. A number of research efforts give sustenance for these allegations. Labeling has been found to predict future deviance as well as more severe criminal case outcomes. Criminal label is a strong interpreter of criminal case result for female defendants. Stigmatization is thought to derive mainly from hiring companies, police officials, and from the society. System contribution was appeared to be directly linked with subsequent crime, and afterwards, deviant peer connection. With persuasive proof of the effect of labeling, it becomes essential to look at the particular character of the use of the criminal label with awareness towards possibly incongruent observances within the use of criminal sentences (or labels). Explanations as well as extensions of labeling theory have called attention towards the reliant character of this theory. Authorized intercession, for instance, being in prison, condemned, or sent to a mental asylum, does not automatically initiate deviant labeling. Structural positioning like social group or circumstances may give individuals differential way to defend against deviant labeling regardless of official intercession. Question 2: Problems with Gender and Crime Female criminality has normally been ignored because of the lesser crime rate of females. Almost all of the conventional Criminal Justice theories are theories that were formed to clarify male criminality. Efforts in different fields are made to discover a potential link amid gender and crime. Violent behavior is being determined by detention figures. This does not take account of aggression that stays unreported and males have a great heuristical partiality to not report being abused. Regardless of the trouble to infer them, crime data may offer a method to look into such a link, whose likely existence would be motivating from a gender variations point of view. A clear distinction might be because of societal / cultural issues, offenses affecting males going unreported or to biological issues. In addition, the type of the crime itself must be taken into account. Men are in general more openly hostile as compared to women, as revealed by violent crime data report. A number of researchers have recommended that women are not essentially less violent, but that they are likely to reveal their violent behavior in less obvious as well as lesser physical ways. Women may exhibit additional spoken as well as relational violent behavior, like communal elimination. On the other hand, males do show their anger with violent behavior more often in comparison to females. Question 3: Matza's Theory on Delinquency and Drift Matza was an American sociologist. He presented a theory on delinquency which is supported by what he describes as drift. His theory is different from the structuralism perspective towards crime as it involves a component of autonomy, personal preference and an inquiring of activities. He often criticized structuralism theories on misdemeanor, as they are excessively deterministic. Contrasting to these sociological theories, Matza thinks that people do have preference, and they can make a decision regarding the strategy. Outer powers in society do not decide each of their activities. In addition, he as well states that those who are involved in criminal behavior should not be considered as separate from the remaining society. His perception of drift is supported by the thought that people go with the flow at determination between straight and criminal activities and are never dedicated completely towards a single form of attitude. Matza's theory also varies from subculture theories as he thinks male criminals are not conflicting to culture's standards as well as customs. He says that these deviants are in fact devoted to the similar standards as the society, such as loyalty in married life. Besides, he also states that community puts a strong ethical pressure on them, which in fact stops them from carrying out criminal acts more often than not. As verification of such a statement, he also indicates the fact that criminals often feel sorry and regret when faced with their misdemeanors and its results. In addition, Matza says that for the most part delinquents not agree with crimes of brutality, for instance, theft and assault while carrying weapons as well as shoplifting and vehicle snatching. In fact, he argues that young criminals are simply held in committing crimes rarely. They are carelessly, erratically, and shortly absorbed within a pattern of unlawful action. Question 4: Contrology In 1979, Ditton put forward the theory of Contrology as an effort to substitute criminology, which, according to him, supported by linear models. Ditton did not deal with ethical terrors in particular; however, did offer a large section of his work condemning the everlasting sequence characteristic of single-loop renewing deviance strengthening representation of Wilkins. Contrology was placed with respect to the labeling practice. Ditton took labeling theory a step ahead via resolving what he thought to be the flaws inbuilt within the actual point of view. The main principles of Contrology are crime along with control. In accordance with conventional criminology, deviance causes social power. Labeling theory reinvented this into social power causes deviance. As said by Ditton, control is what formulates an act a crime. Keeping this in view, he stated that it is the progressions of social control which create as well as classify the criminals. He as well said that the number of criminals is entirely decided by the proper application as well as understanding of power. As a result, the single variable within this mode1 is power/control. As additional criminals are arrested there is smaller number of criminals left to commit crimes. As a result, criminal activities become exhausted. At this instant, a crime reduction creates a crime depression. This sort of a rapid decline in crime unavoidably reduces control, therefore Ditton's control wave falls into attenuation. Finally, a smaller number of criminals are caught and again there is a huge criminal population. Therefore, more crimes have to be defined and social control increases again. Question 5: Nine Points of Learning Theory 1. Criminal behavior is learned. 2. Criminal behavior is learned by contact with others during interaction. 3. Learning criminal behavior takes place inside primary factions. 4. Learning criminal behavior includes gaining knowledge of the procedures, intentions, and validations. 5. The particular course of intentions and behaviors is learned via descriptions of the official policies as positive or negative. 6. An individual turns into a criminal when there is overload of explanations encouraging infringement of regulation. 7. Differential connections differ in occurrence, extent, precedence, and force. 8. The procedure of learning criminal behavior takes account of every approach linked with any other learning. 9. Even though criminal behavior is a way to show common requirements and behaviors, criminal activities and causes are not clarified nor justified by the similar requirements and behaviors. A main feature of this theory concerns the rate of recurrence in addition to power of contact. The time that an individual is exposed to a specific explanation and on which point the contact starts are both decisive for defining criminal behavior. The procedure of gaining knowledge of criminal activities is actually not very unlike the procedure linked with learning some other form of attitude. Sutherland declares that there is no exclusive learning procedure linked with getting hold of non-normative techniques of working. Read More