Criminal Justice Labeling Essay

The labelling theory shows how crime is socially constructed based on labels created by the powerful, which is important for our understanding of who commits a crime as they show how the powerless can be labelled as deviant whilst powerful groups are not. This undermines the

The labeling theory basically categorize individuals who breaks the laws or commit crime. The purpose of the labeling is to cause social humiliation so the individual want commit the crime again. Labels are placed on individuals who commit crime to reduce repeat offenses. A person of prestige that has a high ranking social class is the individual that usually determines how labels are applied. Labeling theory can have a negative effect on the individual who is categorized, the individual is more likely to view them self as labeled. Therefore the individual may go through an identity crisis trying to find their true identity. Some theorist believed that the labeling theory is meant to prevent crime while others believe it encourages crime. When individual conforms to the social stigma he or she engages in deviant acts. Males are more likely to conform to the labels. The negative treatment from members within society can reduce an individual deviant behavior based on the fact that the individual does not want to be judge or mistreatment. This theory does not have a specific method to deter crime. However the form of punishment for the labeling theory is shaming the individual. Individuals who have a criminal label are often looked down on from members within society.it is hard for individual that has a criminal record to find a decent job. To rent a house one must complete a criminal background check. To attend school one must disclose their criminal history. An individual

As I make my way through the college experience, it is crucial that I take advantage of all opportunities available to me, especially within my desired field. Therefore, as a criminal justice major I would be most interested in becoming involved in activities such as when Lt. Ross Dillingham visited a victimology class. Lieutenant Ross Dillingham had the students look through unsolved homicide cases and provide their input. The students were able to review autopsy reports, crime scene photographs, police reports, and witness accounts that allowed them to have firsthand experience with the criminal justice system. Considering my desired career choice, a homicide detective or a forensic analysis, an experience such as this one would greatly benefit me. I would be able to learn the importance of thorough investigation and the need for accurate police reports.

Labeling theory makes no attempt to understand why an individual initially engaged in primary deviance and committed a crime before they were labeled; this then limits the scope of the theory’s explanations and suggests the theory may not provide a better account for crime. Labeling theory emphasizes the negative effects of labeling, which gives the offender a victim status. Also, the same likelihood exists for developing a criminal career regardless of deviance being primary or secondary. Furthermore, labeling theorists are only interested in understanding the aftermath of an individual getting caught committing crime and society attaching a label to the offender. This differs from the view of social learning theory, which seeks to explain the first and subsequent criminal acts. Many critics also argue that the racial, social, and economic statuses of an individual create labels, as opposed to criminal acts; this theory then fails to acknowledge that those statuses may factor into the labeling process. As a result, the above suggests that labeling theory does not provide a good account for crime and appropriately has little empirical support. Moreover, in terms of policy implications, labeling theory implies a policy of radical non-intervention, where minor offenses

In all economies, in all times, and in all places, there has been inequality. Sometimes it has been in the form of forced and immobile classes and sometimes the disparities have been the result of forces outside of the population’s control. There have been those who conquered and those who were conquered. History documents early civilizations organizing class systems within each new civilization. It is human nature to organize in this way. There have always been those who have more and those who have less. Yet, that does not make it okay for those suffering in our lower classes. It does not make it okay for those forced into this lower class who are unable to rise above it. The attitude toward those in the lower classes can be improved upon. There are many who believe that there are “plenty of jobs available for poor people, that government programs breed dependency and that most poor people would prefer to stay on welfare” (Lauter). The standard of living needs to be raised so that the impoverished people in America continue to be richer than those

Labeling Theory would argue that incarcerating individuals such as low level drug dealers leads to the label of a criminal record, which often increases the likelihood of reoffending due to one’s failure to find legitimate employment as an ex-convict. In class we watched a video that was title Dateline Intersection and that video showed good examples of the labeling theory and even showed recidivism. The program in the video Project S.T.A.N.D (Stop and Take a New

A label defines an individual as a certain kind of person. Defining an act as deviant or criminal is not a simple straight forward process. A label is not neutral, it contains an evaluation of the person to whom it is applied. It is a ‘Master Status’ in the sense that it overshadows all the other statuses possessed by the individual. If an individual is labelled as criminal, mentally ill or gay, such labels tend to override the individuals status as father, husband, worker, friend or neighbour. Whether or not the label is applied will depend on how the act is interpreted by the audience. This in turn will depend on who commits the act and where and when it was committed.

In “Labeling, Life Chances, and Adult Crime” by Benburg & Krohn page 1291 under “STRUCTURAL LOCATION AND LABELING” they argue about different labeling theory. “(Ageton and Elliott, 1974; Jensen, 1972). Benburg & Krohn discuss how Structural location, such as race or social class, may provide people with differential means to resist deviant labeling in the face of official intervention. But when you’re in a higher status you have more credibility, you have a have something to protect, because you are judged by every moves you do, it’s more likely people are very aware of your mistakes, therefore when it comes to law enforcement, if you’re in a higher status and commit any felony you definitely y have more to lose than a person in a lower status.

The fourth article that I reviewed, focused on labeling theory. In this article, Labeling Effects of First Juvenile Arrests authors Liberman, Kirk, and Kim focused on how the first arrest increases the likelihood of reoffending for juveniles. The idea of labels triggers “secondary sanctioning” processes. Labeling is a powerful mechanism that can lead to crime.

Schmalleger describes the labeling theory or social reaction theory as one that sees persistent criminal behavior as a result of not, having the chances for normal conduct that follow the negative responses of society to those that have been labeled as criminals. There is an expectation of a continuous increase in crime that is a direct effect of the label that is attached. The result of negative labels creates limited chances that the behavior would change on behalf of the criminal, due in part to societies stigma placed upon them (Schmalleger, 2012, p. 186). Those theorists responsible for the labeling theory that are discussed in our readings during this weeks assignments are listed as Frank Tannenbaum, Edwin M. Lemert, Howard Becker, John Braithwaite and others. When discussion the concept labeling, one must understand some of the most early descriptions of societal reactions to deviance, this can be found in the 1938 works of Frank Tannenbaum who explained the term, tagging. Schmalleger defined tagging as the process whereby an individual is negatively defined by the agencies of justice. Within tagging Edwin M. Limert, used the terminology of primary and secondary deviance, primary being a deviant act that was undertaken to achieve some immediate issue and or problem that may have arisen in the person life and doesn’t intend for the criminal behavior to continue. Secondary deviance

There are several criminal justice policies which are theoretically based on labeling. Labeling theory “focuses on formal and informal applications of stigmatizing and deviant “labels” by society on some of its members” (global). Many have argued however that these labels are often the results of the statuses of the individual, race, social class, and socioeconomics, as opposed to any act committed. Decriminalization, diversion, due process, and deinstitutionalization are four criminal justice policies based on labeling. Decriminalization is considered the removal of many forms of conduct from the scope of the criminal law.

This paper will describe my understanding of the text and of the lectures provided in the class. Unlike most classes, where I understood only my view of the text, this class was geared so each student would understand each other’s view. 3 An organization is a collective that has some boundary and internal structure that engages in activities related to some complex set of goals. Members of organizations attempt to meet their psychological, ego and emotional needs within the organization. Criminal justice organizations are particularly unique compared to other public or private sector organizations because of the governmental granted authority. Management within these organizations can be defined as the process by

This example proves that labeling is prevention of becoming law-abiding citizens; because of its impact on the perception of employers on offenders who served time. That causes them to commit crimes because people who served their time are looked at and treated differently, and employers would be afraid of hiring such people, and society as well would stay away from them so they rebel against society, because they are unfortunately left with no other choice. Rebelling against the society could either be caused by the survival instinct; or could be caused by the desire to avenge the way society treated them and isolated them because of a mistake that they overcame. Eventually, these people get to end up doing illegal stuff that does not require to get hired like stealing or drug dealing or joining gangs; which is even more of a failure to the society itself regardless of whether they are labelled or not.

Labelling theory refers to the ability to attach a label to a person or group of people and in so doing the label becomes more important than the individual. The label becomes the dominant form of identify and takes on ‘Master Status’ (Becker 1963; Lemert 1967) so that the person can no longer be seen other than through the lens of the label. Words, just like labels, are containers of meaning. In this case, the label and the meaning attached to it becomes all that the person is rather than a temporary feature of something that they have done or a way that they have behaved.

Labeling theory helps us understand the social responses and reactions from the community, and as illustrated in the opening comments, the Mercer brothers’ history of criminal behavior and activities. Labeling theory is an approach of explaining that the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used when societies describe or classify individuals without further