A New Dimension Of Crime

In recent news, there has been a string of attacks all over the world; each attack has been related to terrorism. A passenger boarded a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, armed with a box cutter, a pistol and an AK-47 with intent to harm innocent people. Four passengers on the train quickly subdued the terrorist before anyone could be harmed. In November, Paris, France was struck with terror when three armed men set off a string of attacks throughout the city, to include a bomb and active shootings. This attack left nearly 127 people killed and wounded. Most recently, in San Bernadino, California a man and woman left from a holiday party and returned with assault rifles. The officials attributed their act to terrorism, where the

This essay will outline how crime theories are able to assist in recognizing the causes of criminal activity, as well as demonstrating two criminological theories to two particular crimes. Overviews of trends, dimensions and victim/offenders characteristics of both crime groups will be specified. The two particular crimes that will be demonstrated throughout this essay are; Violent Crime (focusing on Assault) being linked with social learning theory and White Collar crime (focusing on terrorism) being linked to General Strain theory. In criminology, determining the motive of why people commit crimes is crucial. Over the years, many theories have been developed and they continue to be studied as criminologists pursue the best answers in eventually diminishing certain types of crime including assaults and terrorism, which will be focused on.

Crime has always been a shadow upon societies image, these learned behaviors can be seen in all shapes and sizes, in the cities, in the streets and even in homes. The media has controlled the image of what is perceived as crime. But what truly stalks the streets at night, is it the sadistic men who care so little about human dignity they travel from coast to coast sexually assaulting women?

Crime is one of those things like you said is an ever changing definition. As our culture and opinions change we see what is considered to be a criminal act and what is not. An example is marijuana, we can see how the opinion is starting to change while it is still restricted there has been a topic for debate. The media is quick to manipulate statistics and brainwash people into believing what is aired to be true. Especially crimes that are rare and not likely to happen to you.

In the United States, from an early age we are taught that individual wealth is a measure of personal success. Wealthy people are viewed as powerful, happy, and successful. They are also viewed as having access to educational and occupational means that provide them with opportunities to increase their wealth. Strain theory as it relates to digital crime involves the feeling of people in the lower and middle social classes that they do not have equal opportunities or access to those same educational and occupational opportunities. Instead of pursuing legal means to increase their wealth, some of the people who commit white collar crimes are those from the lower and middle classes who are stressed and strained due to finances and their

a. Imagine asking 100 strangers to describe a criminal. Predict whether those descriptions would be likely to focus on street criminals, or the variety of topics covered in this video.

“Crime”, a word commonly associated with anarchy, chaos, and pandemonium. From a surface level perspective, upon hearing of a crime such as murder, rape or theft, it is unlikely that anyone would ever assume that a positive fruition could transpire from these actions. Émile Durkheim, a pioneer of modern sociology, w(c)ould suggest otherwise. Vastly known for his analysis of structural functionalism, Durkheim proposes that crime actually has a functionality in society, and without it, that society would DETERIORATE. Though he makes some credible arguments, it is quite difficult to justify all types of crime. (So,) (Even) Though crime can be argued as a normal, functional, necessary and even beneficial aspect to society, there are certain moral boundaries that cannot be crossed, regardless of its outcomes. ( In other words, crime can be normal, functional, necessary and even beneficial, but only to a certain extent.?)

Frequent crimes such as these have made the common citizens have sleepless nights and restless days. It is easy to make people feel very vulnerable during the presence of such heinous events.

A theory is an explanation of why or how things are related to each other (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Additionally, a theory is defined as a plausible or scientifically acceptable principle, or a body of principles, offered to explain phenomena (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). Furthermore, crime theories examine and attempt to identify relationships among humans, criminal behavior, and specific factors such as biological factors, psychological factors, sociological factors, and economic factors (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Since we have defined a theory, let us further discuss how theories are created beginning with the components of a theory.

The Becker model gives the mathematical formula, shown below, for determining costs which includes the variables mentioned earlier

There are many reasons as to why someone may commit crimes. No two people are exactly alike so I don’t believe there is a “one size fits all” theory of crime. You have to assess people on a case by case basis to really understand why each person commits crime. There may be more than one factor in some person’s case that contributes to why they committed a crime; Factors such as, peer influence, family situations, financial situations, mental disorders, and sometimes religious beliefs or cultural differences. These to me are categories most reasons people commit crimes may fall under.

Holistic or general theory of crime attempts to explain most if not all forms of criminal conduct by a single overreaching approach (Schmalleger, 2012). Holistic is a theory that the parts of any whole cannot exist and cannot be understood without their relation to the whole. Holistic means whole or entire which takes into consideration the psychological, sociological, and mental views. A change in one area would bring a change into every area (Papathanasiou, Sklavou, & Kourkouta, 2013).

certain expectations or goals could be factors in the decision in committing a crime. This type

Crime is considered to be some breech or violation of behaviors which stand in opposition of rules or norms instituted by some governing body. Some actions are considered to be crimes throughout most societies in history; murder or physical abuse can serve as an example as an example. However, the majorities of things that are considered crimes are more of a subjective nature and vary widely in different societies. In many societies it is a crime to be an atheist or to be homosexual for example, while in other societies these items are tolerated and in some cases are considered social norms. Furthermore, when an individual is considered to have committed a crime, the punishments for these crimes also can vary widely depending on the culture, the social norms, the position of the authority figure, as well as a plethora of other factors. This paper will analyze some of the different forms of crime and they develop and how they are treated in different societies.

As the nineties began, the general theory of crime became the most prominent criminological theory ever proposed; furthermore, it is empirically recognized as the primary determinant in deviant and criminal behaviors. Known also as the self-control theory, the general theory of crime can most simply be defined as the absence or lack of self-control that an individual possesses, which in turn may lead them to commit unusual and or unlawful deeds. Authored by educator Michael R. Gottfredson and sociologist Travis Hirschi, A General Theory of Crime (1990) essentially “dumbed down” every theory of crime into two words, self-control. The widely accepted book holds that low self-control is the main reason that a person initiates all crimes, ranging from murder and rape to burglary and embezzlement. Gottfredson and Hirschi also highlighted, in A General Theory of Crime (1990), that low self-control correlates with personal impulsivity. This impulsive attitude leads individuals to become insensitive to deviant behaviors such as smoking, drinking, illicit sex, and gambling (p. 90). The extreme simplicity, yet accuracy, of Gottfredson’s and Hirschi’s general theory of crime (self-control theory), make it the most empirically supported theory of criminal conduct, as well as deviant acts.