Sources & Motivations of Crime

2497 Words10 Pages
Crime is a complex issue that stems from many sources and motivations. Motivations start on an individual level that includes predispositions, psychology and individual choice. It then extends out to small groups of people like family and groups of friends. From there it includes larger groups like neighborhoods, schools and communities and further extends to city wide which includes transportation, jobs, education and public services. “Each layer is situated within larger, more inclusive layers. Everything that happens within each layer is filtered and informed by things that happen within the larger layers. To understand individual decision making in all sections of life requires understanding these layers and their interconnection. Each layer informs the resources, opportunities, learning environments and decisions-making practices occurring within each smaller layer.” Each layer can be associated with a theory that explains the sources and motivations of crime at each level. The individual level can be explained using the Rational Choice Theory, the small groups can be explained by the Social Learning and Social Control Theory, the larger group level can be explained by the Social Disorganization Theory and the city wide level can be explained by the Structural Strain Theory. But how do we tie all these theories together to better explain the sources and motivation for crime. Let’s begin with the story of Joey. Joey is a 12 year old boy who lives with his mother in a run-down neighborhood. Since his dad left when he was a baby, his mother has to work two jobs to make ends meet, yet they still struggle to get by. Joey knows that his mom is short on the rent again because the landlord keeps knocking on the door looking for his check; he really needs a new pair of shoes since the sole has worn out on one of them but he
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