Media and Crime LogEntry I - Research Paper Example

Media and Crime Log—Entry I Media and Crime Log—Entry I The New York Times d 5 August reported (Schwirtz & Santora) a shootout at a Sikh Temple near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When many Sikh people gathered there for worship, an armed man stepped in and started indiscriminate firing, killing six people and injuring many. The news reports that though violence against the Sikh people was not frequent in the past, the attacks against Sikh people have become acute recently. In addition, the news makes the revelation that it was just two weeks before this incident that a gunman killed 12 people and injured sixty people in another incident.

According to the news, it is one among the many shootout cases in the U.S and is one among the increasing incidents’ of attack on Sikh people. Thus, the first feeling developed by the news is that there are shootout cases on a regular basis in the U.S. Also, a police official claims that the more information our law enforcement agencies have on violence against Sikh Americans, the more they can do to help prevent such crimes. This develops the feeling that the U.S law enforcement agencies are somewhat helpless in helping such communities when it comes to hate crimes.

Here, it seems that the Behavioral Theory of crime is highly applicable. It is seen that the issue is a hate crime. Evidently, the culprit, a white man, has gained that violent tendency not genetically but through life experiences. According to the theory, a person undergoes behavior modeling through the interaction with family members, environmental experiences, and even mass media influence. Secondly, one can see that trait theories too can be applied in this case. The person is evidently an antisocial personality who is characterized by impulsivity, hostility, aggressiveness, lack for concern for others and lack of emotional depth.

Another important report is seen in USA Today. The report named ‘Along highways, signs of serial killings’ is prepared by Blake Morison (2010). According to the report, there were 459 deaths and nearly 41 attempted homicides committed by serial killers along the national highways in the U.S. As one reads ahead, the report says” They are out there.” It seems that the report is interested in creating a picture that that is frightening. In addition, the report claims that according to FBI, it is necessary to ‘look back and try to figure out’ who is behind the killings.

Once again, it becomes clear that the criminal justice system is portrayed incapable to effectively manage the situation. The study by Fox and Levin (1994 as cited in Larson (n. d.) revealed that serial killers are sociopaths or psychopaths. That means they are people with a disorder or character, not disorder of mind. In other words, they can identify what is right and what is wrong, but they decide to do the wrong. This is supported by the revelation by Lundy, Pfohl and Kuperman (1993) that assaultive behavior in childhood is a clear indicator of criminality in the adulthood.

This clearly indicates that sociopathic state leads to such serial killings. In both the cases, one can see that psychological theories can explain the crime though it is necessary to use sociological theories too to fully understand the situation. ReferencesLarson, D. (n. d.). Serial Murderers: The Construction. Retrieved from http://www.sociology.uiowa.edu/newsoc/awards/papers/larsond.htmLundy, M. S., Pfohl, B. M & Kuperman. S. (1993). Adult criminality among formerly hospitalized child psychiatric patients, Journal of the American Academy of child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32 (3): 568-76.

Morrison, B. (Updated 5 Nov 2010). “Along highways, signs of serial killings”. US Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-05-1Ahighwaykiller05_CV_N.htmSchwirtz, M & Santora, M. (2012). “Gunman kills 6 at a Sikh Temple near Milwaukee”. 5 August. The New York Times. August 5. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/us/shooting-reported-at-temple-in-wisconsin.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www