Sister Learning Not To Steal

Psychology plays a very important role in the field of criminal justice. It is needed to help assess individuals who commit crimes, as well as, help to be a predictor of criminal behavior. Utilizing theories such behaviorism and operant conditioning, individual behavior is able to be assessed by the response to learning what actions result in rewards and what actions result in punishment. As a result of how individuals respond to rewards and punishment, learned behaviors have the possibility to be deterred or corrected.

High crime rates are an ongoing issue through the United States, however the motivation and the cause of crime has yet to be entirely identified. Ronald Akers would say that criminality is a behavior that is learned based on what an individual sees and observes others doing. When an individual commits a crime, he or she is acting on impulse based on actions that they have seen others engage in. Initially during childhood, individuals learn actions and behavior by watching and listening to others, and out of impulse they mimic the behavior that is observed. Theorist Ronald Akers extended Sutherland’s differential association theory with a modern viewpoint known as the social learning theory. The social learning theory states that

This learning theory is basically the idea that as you can be taught good behavior you could also be taught deviant behavior as well. Terence is taught to be deviant with drug sales. He is exposed to this early in life. This falls into the priority of the learning theory. Charles took Terence

Kenneth Young’s mother was a crack addict who apparently stole from Jacques Bethea, who then threatened him to become an accomplice. Can he really be blamed for committing the crime? We all make bad decisions and we have to see someone like Kenneth Young is not all bad, that he is not defined by his deeds. Because if he is, we will, and always will be labeled as bad people. Philosophically speaking, the idea that all decisions are determined by previous causes is called determinism. Determinists will see Kenneth’s situation as inevitable, because they do not believe in free will. All actions are just consequences of previous actions. Each choice a person makes is impacted by previous life events. They will just see as his sentenced justified and rot in prison his whole life. But Kenneth chose a different path, he chose to fight and get his GED. The path he took represented libertarian free will, which believes in the ability to choose other than your determined nature. Kenneth presents an option where people can elevate beyond their determined

The short story, “The Charmer,” by Budge Wilson sends the message that failure to hold children accountable for their misdeeds is dangerous as it often leads to dire consequences on their demeanor; this is a vital message to comprehend because parents who do constantly overlook the faults of their children, will often find themselves indulging in feelings of regret in the face of adversity. To begin, Zach’s absurd behaviour during the exposition helps Wilson illustrate her theme about the importance of punishing children for their wrongdoings. For example, Winnifred explains how “Zach stole money out of wallets that were left lying around...started smoking at thirteen…[and smashed up their] ...car one night after a poker party...But afterwards, Zach delivered apologies that would have brought tears to a preacher’s eyes” (Wilson, 4). This clearly proves that Zach is a manipulative son who believes that by using his charm, he is not obligated to abide by any rules. His parents’ excessive usage of forgiveness allows him to gradually magnify the degree of his crimes and impose financial burdens on the family. When a child happens to engage in criminal activity, parents are naturally inclined to be infuriated and impose strict consequences because they do not want their child to suffer in the future. However, since Zach’s parents are irresponsible, Zach is unable to differentiate right from wrong. Unfortunately, Zach’s actions show that he is becoming

It is known that crime is caused through imitation, arousal and desensitising. The social Learning theory (2009), looks at how people engage in crime due to their associations. It explains that a person’s behaviour is a product of the people who surround ourselves – people imitate those who people admire. Theorist Bandura (1997) had completed an experiment in which looked at

of actions. For example you can steal a bank but the consequence is going to jail. Being

Social learning theory refers to Akers’ theory of crime and deviance. Akers attempted to specify the mechanism and processes through which criminal learning takes place by explaining crime and deviance; he did this in such a way that the likelihood of conforming or deviant behavior based on the influence of an individual’s history of learning was accounted for. This theory was based off Sutherland’s differential association

Throughout our studies of crime and biology, we have learned that the sociological and biological aspects of an individual plays a large role in ones propensity to commit violent crime. The Lincoln Lawyer is an excellent example of some of the theories that we have learned, especially as we observe how our socially constructed laws impact both protagonist and antagonist perceptions of right and wrong. The interaction between these two characters as they encounter and manipulate the law in various ways highlights several behavioral theories from the Chapter 4 lesson. Mickey Haller is incredibly versatile in his use of the law and how he chooses to enforce it. He falls under the description of adaptive behavior.

Based on Ronald Akers ideology of social learning theory, many people commit crimes based on the observations they encounter. These observations can come from a number of sources such as, media, family, and peers. Family and friends as well as the social norms of a neighborhood can be influential to an individual because of acceptance. This theory also says that based on positive or negative reinforcements an individual’s behavior will be based on the rewards or punishments that are given. If given an opportunity to change the violence that occurs among neighborhoods there are many who choose to do so (Akers, 1990).

The Biological and Psychological Trait Theories are theories that are used to try and explain deviance. Biological Trait Theory stems from the Italian School of Criminology (mid-nineteenth century), head by criminologist Cesare Lombroso. Lombroso argued that criminality was a biological trait found in humans. Lombroso’s idea of atavism connected an individual’s appearance and their biological inclination to criminal activity. The Psychological Trait Theory focused on the mental aspects of explaining criminal activity by evaluating their intelligence, personality, and learning behavior. There are three subunits of the Psychological Trait Theory, which are the psychodynamic theory, behavioral theory, and cognitive theory. Sigmund Freud developed the psychodynamic theory with his research of the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious functions of the mind. The behavioral theory is about developing human actions through learning experiences. It explains that crime is learned from life situations. People aren’t born with violent tendencies, rather it’s learned from life experiences. Three sources of this behavior are family, the media, and the environment. Cognitive theory focuses on how people perceive and mentally represent the world around them and solve problems. In the case of Jared Loughner, the psychological trait theory is the most applicable. With his diagnosis of being a paranoid schizophrenic, that connects him to both the psychodynamic perspective and

He realizes that Bob is important to him more than the business deal. This robbery is also important to Bob. He feels sorry to Bob. Teach also apologies to Bob. Though he feels bad when his plan is ruined, but he understands that he should not misbehave with Bob.

4. When criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes (a) techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very simple; (b) the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes.

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime proposes that low self-control is the cause of crime. Self-control is defined as a person’s ability to control their emotions, behaviors and desires in the face of external demands. Hirschi argued that everyone is born without self-control but it is gained through familial interactions. Parents who supervise their children, recognize deviance and punish deviant acts build self-control in their children. Therefore, low self-control is the product of unsuccessful parenting, such as failing to recognize and correct children’s wrong behavior. Children with low levels of self-control end up being more prone to crime, and their criminal tendencies continue into adulthood. If a child is never told

This relates to another important component and that is, when criminal behavior is learned, the