Recycling Should Be Mandatory In The United States
There isn’t a single straight answer to ‘Why people commit crime’. Criminals are rational when they weigh the possible consequences of their crimes. Why do people commit crimes? Do genetics, neurological disorders or mental illnesses play a factor? This essay will explore some theories to determine whether the acts were deliberate or caused by circumstances beyond the control of the perpetrator. The classicist theory of criminology holds that people commit crime because they do not understand the consequences. Jeremy Bentham influenced classicist criminology. Bentham thought that if people knew the possible consequences, it would make them less likely to commit crimes. Bentham also believed that rational individuals would try to avoid pain whilst seeking pleasure. The assumption is that humans are rational, and they weigh the consequences before committing a crime. This is because the individual would need to consider the consequences of their actions, including the possible monetary gains.
To make a rational decision, one must first assume that an offender is an individual. Second, criminals are expected to maximize their goals. Lastly, they must be self-interested. The theory of rational choice is heavily influenced by emotion. An individual’s emotional state plays a significant role in rational decision making. Emotional consequences are a factor that rational decision makers consider when making decisions. Potential emotional costs could deter criminal behavior. Emotions have a major role in motivating people to act on their desires. According to the theory of deterrence, people decide whether they will obey the law or not after weighing the benefits and consequences.
The fear of punishment can cause people to refrain from committing criminal acts, which is called absolute deterrence. They may also restrict their criminal activities, which is called restrictive deterrence. Legal punishments that are certain, swift and severe should deter criminal activity. As well as perceived punishments which are the opinions of potential offenders about what is actually done by officials, there can also be objective punishments. Other extra-legal penalties, such as stigmatization and vigilante punishment, should also be taken into consideration. In addition to the legal punishments, there are also extra-legal ones such as stigma and vigilante justice.
Newburn (2009) states that social causes are not taken into consideration. Positivists argue that criminals are not motivated by rational choices, but rather are the result of external factors they cannot control. Therefore, treatment is more appropriate than punishment to deal with criminal behavior. Positive criminology relies on findings from scientific studies, including biology, psychology, and sociology. Lombroso said that a criminal’s behavior is based on their biological makeup. He stated that criminals are individuals who have not evolved as fast as those who don’t offend. The notion that someone is ‘born evil’ led to the development of biological theories. These theories raised questions concerning genetic make up and whether or not crime could be genetic. The debate between nature and nurture challenges the idea that you are a criminal because of your biological makeup.
Psychological theories say that criminal behaviours are based on mental disorders, like personality disorder or neurological issues. Freud who pioneered the idea that human behavior can be controlled by mental processes, focused his attention on childhood memories. He believed that these childhood memories are stored within the unconscious portion of a human’s brain and affect their behavior and thoughts. This can lead to personality disorder and criminal activity. Sociological theories of criminality have focused on how social factors influence human behavior. Anomie- is a concept used to explain the state of social disobedience when accepted rules of behaviour – including law – do not deter people who are prone to criminal behavior. Merton (1968), a professor of psychology, proposed a theory called strain theory that explains criminality. He says that crime can be a result of increasing social pressure to achieve socially acceptable goals. When individuals do not have the means to attain these goals, it could lead to criminal behavior. The rise of social networking sites has made people feel more pressured to conform. Under the strain theory, drug dealing and prostitutes could be viewed as ways to gain financial security.
Cohen (1950) used the strain theory to examine groups. He argued that people who are in difficult social situations and find it hard to adhere these moral standards develop different moral values, which the rest of the society would consider deviant. They might do this to increase their status, for example by stealing cars and riding them instead of selling them. The Strain Theory is criticised because it focuses on lower-class criminals. They are the ones who lack resources and have to work harder for their gains. White collar criminals are not included in the Strain Theory, despite their many legitimate opportunities. Merton overlooks social structures that can cause strains to be placed on criminals. In a similar way, strain theory focuses on disorganization within communities. The community context plays a key role in explaining why youths and unemployed people living in poverty are more likely to commit crimes than their peers. In Britain, curfews, exclusion zones, dispersal areas, and ASBOs have all been increasing since the early 2000s. In the past, anti-social behaviors were emphasized. But, there was concern about youth offending in urban and deprived areas.
The opportunity theory is linked with youth crimes. The theory claims that obtaining gain in society legitimately is impossible. People who believe this are often grouped into gangs and develop a delinquent subculture. The subculture varies depending on the criminal activities available in different areas. The emergence of gangs in an environment where criminal activity and crime is prevalent would lead to gangs forming. In contrast, a place that lacked such criminal activity would have gangs battling for control. According to the theory of deterrence, people decide whether they will obey the law or not after weighing the benefits and consequences.
Absolute deterrence occurs when people are afraid of being punished. Restrictive deterrence happens when people limit their criminal activity. Legal punishments that are swift, severe, and certain should deter criminal activity. As well as perceived punishments which are what potential offenders think of the actions of legal officials, there can also be objective punishments. You should also consider extra-legal penalties, such as stigma or vigilante justice. Consider the larger picture of a person’s life when looking at reasons for a crime. Joe Geelong was murdered on 1st march 2006 after he had been beaten, stabbed in the back and dumped into a park. Joe Geelong was stabbed, beaten and then dumped in a local park after failing to return from school. Michael Hamer who was a 15 year old pupil at the school where Joe attended, was arrested the next day. Hamer used a faked letter from the deputy principal of the school to lure Joe to his house. Hamer, a 15-year-old student who attended the same school as Joe, was arrested on the same day. It was revealed that Hamer had lured Joe to his home using a fake letter supposedly from their deputy head of school. Joe refused to accept Hamer’s advances and threatened him with declaring Hamer gay. The boy was enraged and attacked Joe with a pan and sixteen times. The boy then threw Joe’s dead body in a wheelie-bin and disposed of it at Bunyan Park, a park nearby. The trial revealed that he was ‘obsessed’ with Joe even though he wasn’t openly homosexual.
Hamer’s attachment disorder was thought to stem from his father abandoning him as a small child. Bowlby (1969), according to Bowlby, says that if children are deprived of their primary caregivers during childhood, they can suffer from various problems in the future. Children can become very apathetic. They are often focused on themselves. Delinquent children also exhibit these characteristics. Bowlby believes that crime, violence and other disorders are caused by attachment problems. Children who have not been properly attached to the caregivers they live with may find it difficult to be concerned for others. Children who are not properly attached to their caregivers may struggle to have concern for the wellbeing of others. This stems from their inability bond.
Hamer’strial’s psychiatrists concluded that Hamer had an adjustment disorder, a result of his troubled upbringing, which affected his cognitive ability. Hamer’s capacity to think was not unstable enough for his crime to be reduced from murder to manslaughter. Hamer admits that he killed Joe because of his anger over sexual rejection and that this was the cause. He claimed that he wanted to make someone ‘lonely, scared and angry’ through sexual abuse – this may be connected to his inability or unwillingness to care about others. Hamer’s shame was probably a result of being abandoned and bullied as a child.
Hamer never found a place to fit in, not even at home, despite having a supportive and loving mother. In psychoanalytical thought, correct socialization would be sufficient to curb natural urges or drives that Freud believed all humans stored in the unconscious. Michael Hamer played video and pretend game alone for hours on end. He was also unable to socialize and would play with younger children. Hamer could have known the potential consequences of his actions, but decided to kill Joe anyway. This was perhaps done as a protective measure against Joe disclosing at school that he is gay. Hamer could have killed Joe out of a panic or a lack of thought, as he saw it as his only option. Hamer did not stop killing Joe because he was afraid of his bullies, and that his absentee father might find out.
Hamer may have acted in this way because his frontal-lobe, at only 14, has not yet fully developed. Adolescents can’t control their emotional brain, leading to risky behavior. Hamer did not inherit criminality as his parents were loving, caring parents and his father was a policeman with no previous record of offenses. You can also look at another type of crime that society and media overlook. Leo Kozlowski committed crimes in 2005 related to obtaining $81 million of unapproved rewards, along with the purchase over $14 million of art and an unauthorized payments of a fee for accompanying director. He was given a six-year sentence, which was served. In 2014, he was released. High-ranking businessmen often commit money-related crime out greed, not necessity. Although white collar crimes cause more death and injury than other types of crimes, the justice system still treats them with greater leniency. Sutherland (1987), for example, says that Kozlowski is a good example of a man who commits crimes to justify his behavior.
Embezzlers think they are borrowing money. Executives who break safety rules for workers or justify pollution as an obstruction to free markets. Corporate managers who cheat their clients say they are just following their bosses’ orders. Some executives have admitted to believing that unethical, and sometimes illegal behavior, is a part of their profession. White-collar crimes are motivated by greed and the desire for status. This could be linked to strain theory. The fear of failing and greed are key elements in white-collar criminality. Deterrence theory does not work well for white collar crimes, because of the lack of accountability and severity in punishments. These factors are linked to a debated social norm that treats these crimes – some of which can be severe – differently. To address white collar crime would require a cultural shift. Law-abiding people find it difficult to understand the motivations of criminals, especially those who commit crimes such as murder or rape. Only a small number of people will commit crimes, even though everyone has the potential to be delinquent. Although there is a clear correlation between criminality and class, research has shown that the crimes of lower class people are higher. Statistics do NOT include unreported crimes or crimes that don’t reach court.
As it can be seen as a victimless crime, and because it’s difficult to identify a particular individual responsible, crimes committed by higher classes are often ignored and not reported. It is almost impossible to establish a relationship between crime and social class. Functionalism and strain theory assume people are motivated to commit crimes and act out by social factors. The Control Theory argues, however, that even if everyone is assumed to be evil and criminals will still commit crimes without social controls in place such as police or punishment.
The control hypothesis is better at explaining cases of white collar crime, like officials embezzling cash under the pretense of not being caught. Their actions are motivated more by greed than necessity. Deterrence can’t be achieved by punishment alone. Prison does not deter criminals. But, prisoners are taught more effective ways to commit crimes and the long-term sentences may make them less fearful of prison. In the modern era, imprisonment is a form of celebration and can cement a person’s place within gang culture.
Prison can be considered a trophy that demonstrates criminal status. Casciani, (2016) states that there has been an increase in violence within prisons, as gangs are fighting for control over contraband. To deter criminal behavior, police employ certain methods. For example, they increase the perception of those who commit crimes that they will be caught. Police officers can have a significant impact on a person’s decision. They deter people from committing crimes by letting them know that they will be caught and punished. Deterrence could be affected by the rise of ‘grass culture’, where people refuse to cooperate more with police.
Both Merton-Cloward and Ohlin (both 1960) agreed that not all people share the same morals and principles of judging whether an act is right or wrong. What is deemed ‘normal’ by one section of society may be viewed differently in another. According to the theory, exposure to criminal behaviour in adulthood increases the likelihood of a child committing crime as an adult. This theory focuses on the areas with high levels of poverty, and does not pay attention to corporate or white-collar crimes. White-collar criminals may also be stressed out by their actions, but the stress may come from the need to maintain their goals rather than the failure to achieve them. Messerschmidt (2004: p. 3) argues that crime is caused by the desire of men to attain’masculine-status’. It does not mean that all criminals are men. It is not true that only men are criminals.
Carrabine(2009) remarked that “having notorious street reputations may not win you points in society but they may satisfy the desire of youths to be someone”. Other factors can be considered in a debate over the theories. People with addictions or those who were victims of crime may not have learned the criminal behaviors from their childhood. Some people who have been abused – either sexually, mentally or physically – are driven to criminal behavior to help them cope.
Bedard (2005, p. 3) concluded that “victimization” of a child could affect adult behavior negatively – with long-term psychological consequences. Alcoholism, addiction and other issues can also influence crime. The British crime survey of 2008 found that nearly one million violent assaults were committed by individuals under the influence. Although considered outdated, Lombroso’s “biological throwbacks” have gained some recent support in the courtroom.
Abdelmalek Bayout admitted stabbing and killing a man in 2007 – the charge was reduced when it was revealed that he suffered genetic misfortune. Five of his genes were associated with violent behaviors.
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