This depends on whether they are observing covertly or overtly. If they have to maintain their ‘insider’ identity, they have little choice but to become involved in some way in law breaking. The young age of street criminals creates particular problems for observers. For example, they use a lot of ‘street’ language. It will also be hard for adult researchers to find an appropriate role for covert observation because of differences in age and appearance.
The main point that Merton’s theory outlines is the fact that people engage in deviant behaviour because they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means, and when most people share similar goals for example financial success in an unequal society not all individuals have the opportunity to achieve those goals through approved means, therefore they feel different, as the dominant rules on how to achieve success don’t meet their needs, and as a result deviance occurs. People may become frustrated and resort to criminal means of getting what they want, or lash out in anger, or find comfort for their failures in drug use. Merton’s explanation of crime and deviance combines two elements: Structural factors – society’s unequal opportunity structure and cultural factors – the strong emphasis on success goals and the weaker emphasis of using legitimate means to get them. For Merton, deviance is the result of a strain between two things: the goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve and what the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve. Merton argues that there are different ‘modes of adaptation’, or responses to situations and access to opportunities that range from conformity – individuals accept the culturally approved
Financial abuse – This is another name for stealing or defrauding a person of goods and/or property. It is always a crime but not always prosecuted, sometimes it is straightforward (eg) a carer stealing from a residents purse , but other times it can be difficult to address. This is because very often the person doing it can be the son or daughter of the person being abused (eg) sons or daughters misuse of Power of Attorney. Institutional abuse – This is the mistreatment of people brought about by poor inadequate care or support or poor practice that effects the whole care
Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response The basis of the “choice theory” is to show why and/or what causes a criminal to make the choice to commit a crime. Every person has to make their own choices and decisions and criminals make irrational decisions when, where, and how to commit a crime. All the while giving no thought to the punishments for their actions because the personal gain is of greater value to them. Criminals do not believe the laws apply to them. The criminal commit crimes for personal gain, money, power, and status.
A youth is deemed as violent when he or she has committed one or more of these crimes. Observational learning, child abuse, drug use, alcohol use, poor academic performance, and learning difficulties are major reasons juveniles commit delinquent acts. The concept of diversion
These theories are best illustrated through the application of notorious criminals and their deviant acts. When studied individually, the obvious “cause” of crime can be significantly different from the reason the offender had in mind when breaking the law, and the theories of crime causation begin to decipher these reasons. Crime causation involves several different factors; the influences on an individual during early childhood: experiences like poor parenting, the attempt (conscious and subconscious) to imitate an individual’s peer, the individual’s immersion in poverty, having poor opportunities, living in a community with high crime, the values and lifestyles of promenade members of the community which is admired by the individual, and lastly, an individual’s genetic and biological influences (Frank Schmalleger, 2009, p. 121). Of all the excessive crimes which occurred in the twentieth century, one of the most memorable crimes in the north eastern region of the United States is the case of Richard Kuklinski, as known as, the “Iceman”. According to Crime USA (2008) “Richard Kuklinski was one of the most self confessed contract killers in American History” (Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski, para 1).
Social learning theorists are very determined to find out if entertainment media are an influence of violence. Feelings and thoughts are what distinguishes one person from another. Some look at criminal behavior as a result of a disturbed personality structure. People who suffer from an anti social personality are often called “Antisocial”, “Psychopath”, and “Sociopath”. Defining characteristics include impulsivity, irresponsibility, risk taking, detachment issues and anti social behavior.
Three major sources of strain: the failure to achieve positively valued goals, the loss of positively valued stimuli, and the presentation of negative stimuli. The first type of strain includes three subtypes: the failure to achieve ideal goals, the failure to achieve all expectations, and the failure to be treated in a just fair manner. agressvive demands of sexual or physical abuse “The delinquent accepts society’s norms that place an importance on the ownership of certain things, but inequalities, such as poverty, prevent their attainment,” therefore turning to life of crime. social disorganization promote crime and include disrupted, dysfunctional and impaired households; ethnic and racial, ; and the development of "deviant" subcultures, even though they specified that such subcultures are not entirely distinct from the conventional-dominant culture but rather deviant in the sense of fostering at least the tolerance of certain behaviors. frustrations or the lack of access to legitimate opportunities happen to create forms of social disorganization.
Traffickers use several means to prevent victims from escaping. These may range from physical restraint in the form of locks and guards, physical or psychological violence, drugging or by instilling a fear of the police, making the victims believe that they are the offenders. The trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation results in a negative impact on the health and well being of the victims, which could be long term and ultimately life-threatening. Human trafficking prevents victims from attaining physical, mental and social well-being. During the process of being
Why are prisons bursting at the seams? According to Joe Romaine of the International Business Times, it is because of America’s “insane drug laws,” which are doing more harm than good (Romaine). Many people may argue that drug offenders are getting what’s coming to them— they broke the law, and therefore it is part of their consequence to suffer through the overcrowded “cruel and unusual” incarceration. Individuals who argue this point are mistaken because although criminals should indeed receive punishment for their actions, there comes a time when a line of propriety is crossed. The ‘war on drugs’ has become a harsh and unnecessary measure that frankly costs American taxpayers far too much money.