Criminal Conduct and Social Theories - Essay Example

Criminal Conduct al Affiliation) Introduction Crime is any action or omission that is offensive in nature and may lead to prosecution by the state and is punishable by law. Crime may be considered as a form of anomic behavior. It is also considered as a conscious reaction to social conditions, to mental stress, to the law breakdown or social disorder, and to the classification of certain behavior as deviant. Variations of cultures in organizations in addition to its values make criminal considerations vary. This happens even though most cultures have laws or customs which are restrictive. The inheritance of psychological as well as physical traits has been found to be among the causes of crime. Some criminologists have come to the conclusion that some offenders are born in environments which generate and promote criminal behavior. Such environments may include; extreme poverty or discrimination against certain minority groups. Criminologists have also argued that others are influenced by additional stimuli that cause criminal behavior. There are numerous motivations of crime to which individuals are exposed (Beaver, 2011). Discussion In criminology, it is important to study the causes of crime and how the crime ought to be handled, prevented, and eliminated. Criminologists have developed several theories which also apply to the article. One of the theories is the rational choice theory. The theory provides that people act in their self-interest, and decisions to commit a crime are reached after potential risks are weighed against the rewards. People do things that will reward them and avoid whatever may punish them. The theory views social interaction as a way of social exchange. Social interaction involves approval exchange and other particular valued behaviors. When human beings are about to undertake a certain action, they consider the rewards of the action as much as they consider the costs (Ferell, 2011). These rewards may include the satisfaction to be received from their consumption. The rewards may also include the social approval that may be gained from the display of their status. For instance, Paul and his friend had run out alcohol, and they needed to satisfy their desire for alcohol. This motivated them to rob the man off his money, which they would use for the purchase of more alcohol. Paul and his friends had critically analyzed the risks that would accrue to the crime. The risks were minimal as the man was sitting outside the night club, where security was minimal. The reward was that they would acquire money to purchase more alcohol. Clearly, they were motivated by the urge to satisfy their own needs. The social disorganization theory is also ascribed to the crime. It is a perspective that examines ecological differences in levels of crime. The levels are based on structural and cultural issues, which shape the social order in different communities. Criminal activities are triggered by the loopholes that exist in social integration, because of the absence of mechanisms which are self-regulatory. This means that a person’s social environment is the major tenet that is responsible for behavioral changes in them. For instance, when a person is brought up in a neighborhood which has fraying social structure, the person is likely to engage in high rates of crime (Jerin, 2010). For example, Paul was living on the streets where criminal activities are experienced on a daily basis. He was accustomed to the environment so much so that he did not realize that it was a big deal; to him the criminal activities were normal. His parents were physically abusing him, a factor that made him a violent person. Moreover, his parents did not give him the full attention that a growing child ought to be accorded; they neglected him and he had to grow up without the nurturing attention of parents. This kind of environment made him become an irresponsible person. Taking him to foster care also made him feel neglected, and his mental status was affected significantly leading him to commit criminal activities. The social learning theory applies to the crime committed by Paul and his friend. Under the theory, criminal activities are motivated by the people a person is associated with. Cognitive learning theory is influenced by psychological factors. Behavioral learning theory assumes that learning is based on environmental stimuli responses. It puts emphasis on the societal context rather than the mind of the individual (Mackenzie, 2006). Attitudes and behaviors develop depending on the reinforcement and encouragement that we get from the people in our surrounding. For instance, Paul engaged in criminal activities because his friends also engaged in such activities. He was sent to a special school at a tender age, which changed his environment. The environment was characterized by violent activities, which are aimed at instilling discipline to students. Such discipline is instead harmful to the mental health of students as the conditions for discipline are harsh. An affected mental health creates a platform for criminal activities. The social control theory provides an understanding of how behavior is perceived in the society. It provides that a crime is committed due to inadequate constraints. It involves the perception of freewill, giving individuals who commit crime the capacity of choice, and responsibility to their actions. Social control is more associated to a classical school of criminology than deterministic perspectives. The essence of the social control theory is conformity. The theory focuses on the absence of fundamental relationships with significant others, which frees individuals from social constraints. Through this, individuals are more prone to commit minor crimes. The theory provides that the absence of control institutions such as schools could lead to the increase of criminal behavior. For example, Paul had difficult times in school, and he had to be sent to a special school. If it were not for such institutions, Paul would have been even worse. The fact that his parents used to abandon him at a tender age, lead to the absence of a fundamental relationship. This caused Paul to involve himself in criminal activities since there was the lack of a regulatory system, and he chooses his way into crime (Marsh, 2006). The labelling theory also makes a contribution to the nature of criminal activities. The people in power may label a person as a criminal depending on their criminal record. Once a person has been labelled as a criminal, society discriminates them on that basis, which may prompt more individuals to engage in criminal behavior. The theory attaches some behavior to an individual, and the person is defined through that behavior in society. For instance, Paul had been convicted of other criminals such as theft, possession of weapons, driving while under the influence of drugs, breach of bail, and criminal disturbance. He was first arrested at a tender age and he had already been labelled as a criminal. Such labelling made Paul commit more crimes as he had already accepted his status in society as a criminal. Biology, genetics, and evolution may also lead to criminal activities. An unhealthy diet, mental illness, and evolutionary rewards for the conduction of crime in an aggressive manner have similarly been associated with crime (Newburn, 2007). Contemporary criminology research has been carried out and has related crime to aspects of genes and mental health. However, the research cannot be characterized as being deterministic, because there is solid proof that reveals the mutual interdependence between crime and genes. Paul’s father was an alcoholic and alcoholism can be acquired genetically. This may be the reason why Paul is abusing alcohol at a rate that makes him commit crimes to secure money for the purchase alcohol. The mother had mental health problems, which made her incapable of performing her responsibilities. Such factors may have contributed to the crime levels associated with Paul. There are several other factors that may lead to the pursuit criminal activities by individuals. Age and gender are a few of such factors. Males are more likely to involve themselves with criminal activities as compared to the female. Males are also more engaged in criminal activities which are high in offence as compared to the female. Most teenagers also engage in more criminal activities when compared to other age groups. Another factor associated with the involvement in crime is the fact that there are individuals who pursue criminal activities professionally. Such individuals study and plan different scenarios and come up with possible loopholes that can enable them to commit a crime. There is also public tolerance of crime committed by juveniles. Such individuals tend to commit a crime, because the law is not harsh to under age individuals who commit crime. Unemployment and inequalities in income form a broad basis for carrying out criminal activities. Areas that have weak controls in terms of social information give birth to neighborhoods that cannot create their own policies (Treadwell, 2006). There is a correlation between income levels and rates of crime. Low income levels emerge as a criminal factor owing to the fact that the individuals are marked by deteriorating standards of living, their emotional structure end up becoming unstable, their family becomes affected and the individuals are not able to control the desires they have. This context influences them to commit crimes. It is emergent that profession is a criminal factor that potentially influences crime ascribed to individual specialization. Whether public officials pass strict sentencing laws, hire more police officers and take additional crime reduction measures but such options are limited. A bad labor market is bound to impact crime rates profoundly. There is a nexus between low wages and crimes on property like burglary. Low income also contributes to violent crimes like robbery and assault where the motive is often money. With crimes such as murder and rape, there is a weak association with income levels since it emerges that monetary gain is not often a motive. The fact that rape and murder do not have a considerable connection with wages is enough evidence that poor economic conditions motivate many employees to turn to crime. The risk levels associated with committing a crime are strongly influenced by the parenting qualities to which a person is subjected. Poor relationships between parents and children increase the risk of crime involvement by children. Poor school performance has also led to the involvement in delinquent activities by school-going children. The use of drugs by individuals particularly alcohol, leads to the risk of taking part in criminal activities. The places of domicile of individuals may also be a factor that promotes criminal activities (Jerin, 2010). Most of the areas that are prone to poverty increase the rate of crime as individuals are in search for their daily meals. Unemployment and poor wages are also major factors that lead to the increase of levels of crime. In areas prone to such factors, there is usually lack of informal social controls. Such controls help the society to formulate policies that govern the society against criminal activities. Criminal careers tend to exist in some societies and criminal organizations are created, which further worsen the levels of crime Conclusion There is no single factor or a combination of factors which causes an individual to involve themselves in criminal activities. Criminality is not like dealing with a disease. Most people are bound to commit a crime at some point in their lives. A good number of teenagers engage in criminal activities that are more serious. Most of the teenagers will desist from the criminal activities without any formal intervention. The rates of crime may rise or fall depending on a variety of factors. Economic factors vary depending on the level of trade and this in turn affects the levels of crime (Webber, 2010). The availability of firearms, increases in breakdowns of families, increases in the percentage of single parents, and geographical mobility all influence the levels of crime. Crime cannot be influenced by predetermined factors, and, therefore, the formulation of strategies that seek to control crime makes no sense. Various mixes of strategies may be appropriate for the elimination of crime within the society. The living standards of people are different, and there must be individuals who are ranked lowly in the society; thus crime is bound to always take place in society. References Beaver, K. M. (2011). The Ashgate research companion to biosocial theories of crime. Farnham, Surry, England: Ashgate. Ferrell, J., & Hayward, K. (2011). Cultural criminology: theories of crime. Surrey, England ; Burlington, VT: Ashgate Pub.. Jerin, R. A., & Moriarty, L. J. (2010). The victims of crime. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. MacKenzie, D. L. (2006). What works in corrections: reducing the criminal activities of offenders and delinquents. New York: Cambridge University Press. Marsh, I., & Melville, G. (2006). Theories of crime. London: Routledge. Newburn, T. (2007). Criminology. Cullompton: Willan Pub.. Treadwell, J. (2006). Criminology. London: SAGE. Webber, C. (2010). Psychology & crime. Los Angeles: SAGE. Read More