Criminology Essay - Edgework Theory

1797 Words8 Pages
Edgework theory High-speed pursuits are the topic of many articles in the news today. The countless number of avoidable accidents and deaths that result from these pursuits are very high, with it occurring numerous times, every day, all over the world. High-speed pursuits are used as an adrenaline rush for individuals who fit in with the edgework theory. They may perceive high-speed pursuits as a recreational activity, which feed those individuals’ that engage in edgework desire to push boundaries and deviate according to a given society. The ‘rush’ received from a high speed pursuit is explained by many individuals who have been involved in a police chase. This extreme behaviour can be linked with the theory of edgework, along with many other theories such as Social Learning theory and Social Ecology theory. Edgework involves voluntary risk-taking whereas the Social Ecology theory involves certain areas and groups of people that tend to commit crimes, where crime becomes status quo, not individuals seeking deviance. The individuals engaged in the Social Ecology theory may end up in the chase through other crimes, and they may have been involved in those crimes due to the area they reside, this could mean they have had a negative pre-disposition. Social Learning theory applies to individuals from certain social groups that learn the criminal behaviour through interaction with others; these individuals may end up in a high-speed chase through another crime like auto theft or fleeing the scene of a crime, whereas edgeworkers are inclined to the chase itself. Edgework is a criminology theory that examines the ways in which individuals commit crimes in order to experience the pleasures and excitement of risk-taking. High speed pursuits are featured in the media in many ways. Countless action movies contain scenes involving high-speed car chases, usually involving
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