Urban Crime: as Portrayed in Mystic River

The setting of the novel is Harlem, a neighborhood largely populated by african- americans. Specifically we can say that it takes place on 145th Street, right outside Big Joe’s house which seems to the characters primary hangout place. We know this because when questioned about how long they’ve been there one of them says “Two hours, maybe three” which could also imply that they don´t have a job nor a family to care for. The neighborhood the story takes place in seems like a place where crime isn’t unusual.The setting in which the story is told

Culture in urban communities, also referred to as inner-cities, are growing increasingly violent. In the article, The Code of the Streets by Elijah Anderson, he begins to take an in-depth look at the root of the evil. He deduces that economic factors, parenting and the troublesome environments largely influence the violent norms within this culture.

In cities like Baltimore, Maryland, and Chicago, the worst cities for urban youth, teen crime is not extraordinary. The poverty-ridden towns further provide reason and excuse for crime. Now this can be caused by many things, but the key ones are for money to provide basic needs and a way to obtain material goods that could not be obtained lawfully. In “The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore, two impoverished teens growing up in Baltimore experience very different lives, one will find himself on top of the world, and the other far below in a state prison.

Why Memphis has one of the highest crime rate city in the US? Over the past decade, Memphis has become an attractive city for many tourists around the world to visit. It has historical landmarks related to famous characters such as Elvis Presley. Furthermore, Memphis has one of the top music destinations in the world and the city where many forms of music were established and still being recorded till today. Moreover, Memphis is a good place to live because it has a lot of historical places, incredible foods, cool weather, friendly population, famous characters, and lovely music. All that describe the bright side about this wonderful city. On the other hand, Memphis also has a dark side that we can’t deny or hide it that is the

Detroit, the largest city in the state of Michigan, unfortunately has been plagued with a high crime rate resulting in synonymous acts of violence, poverty, and urban decay. A multitude of factors are considered when determining accurate explanations of crime within Detroit. These factors include changes in land use, property values, transportation, and retail, as an individual moves further away from the city center. According to Robert Park and Ernest Burgess, Chicago School, a city was similar to a body and consisted of various organs. The theory attempted to analyze criminality from an ecological and social disorganization standpoint. This theory asserted that a city included distinctive concentric circles that radiated from the central business district (CBD). Supposedly, the further one moves away from the concentric zones, the fewer social problems that exist (Williams & McShane, 2009, p. 86).

My greatest fear is losing my kids to the crime and violence in my city. The things that our kids are exposed to in New Orleans makes it hard for a single parent like my-self to keep my kids away. In 2012 statistics shows the city’s violent crime rate was higher than the national violent crime rate average by 110.7%, crime rate total incidents were up by almost 6000 compared to property crimes. With all the drugs, killings, prostitution, breaking and entering, and black on black crimes it scares me to know that your kids are not safe in their own homes.

Does the sound of the city ring a bell as a place filled with violence and gruesome stories? That’s what I have always noticed with the reports involving the city of Oakland. To news media everything has to have just the right amount of darkness to it in order for that news channel to have a good amount of viewers. Like it or not we all have that little dark side within us that is more curious and interested to see something terrible happen in news reports; because for some reason it’s entertaining to us. During my critical thinking class with my professor Larry Salomon, I learned that this is why most news channels like to show gruesome and tragic stories more often, because we as human beings find some sort of interest and satisfaction hearing about these stories; and this makes work for news channels more easier to gain more viewers. Some people are more eager to learn about a tragic story unlike the other reports that have a more hopeful and cheerful description. How is this linked to violence in Oakland? News reporters know that Oakland is the place to go when you need a story that will help you get viewers. I have talked to some residents in my community of Oakland and they stated that they were tired of being the notebook of bad stories to be told on live television; the only reason why violence seems to continue in this community is because reporters always point the finger at the city as being a place filled with

“With no police force in California’s cities, criminals from all over flocked to San Francisco.” (Saffer,1) This meant that the criminals could commit their crimes with little fear of punishment. The criminals felt as if they could steal someone’s belongings, and not get caught then they would be fine. So, that’s why many people went over there. The San Francisco Gang was a group from New York. They always took gold, money, food, etc. But, after awhile another group of people from San Francisco put them on trial, they were then put in prison for 10 years. However, there wasn’t any prisons they could stay in so, they just frightened the gang and they never committed a crime from then on. Along with the San Francisco Gang, another gang came and started causing more trouble again. That gang repeatedly stole from stores, and homes taking everything they could. Until a group of 180 men called “Committee of Violence” they captured and hung some of the members of the gang, and threatened all the others. It must have been horrible without safety from criminals but as more cities grew, more prisons were

All towns, cities, and areas have their own specific traits. Small towns tend to be more like a family, while big cities tend to be more passive. Then there are the small areas where people do not make much money and struggle to get by. These areas tend to be more violent and more influenced by drugs and alcohol. This is the area that Andre Dubus III grew up in, in his memoir Townie. His parents were divorced and neither of them made much money so he and his two sisters and brother ended up moving from one small crummy neighborhood to another. In these neighborhoods he would get involved in the wrong crowds and end up doing drugs, drinking, and fighting. This became a way to show power. The most powerful people were strong and always came

Is criminal behavior a learned behavior? Is it simply dependent upon ones environment or is it much more complex? Many theorists have examined criminal behavior, such as Edwin Sutherland, Pavlov along with Hirschi. Sutherland, who devised the differential association theory, according this theory he stated that criminality is learned from those who are close to us, or whom we have a close association with. An individual’s behavior may be deviant if those whom they are associated with are also involved in aberrant behavior. Sutherland’s theory that criminal behavior is “learned” then eliminates psychological and biological

This was a city that was known for its violence, crime, and poverty. Author Wes Moore gives us statistics throughout the book. We know that when Author Wes was in middle school, 99% of the children were black and 70% of those children were on the school lunch program. At the time, Baltimore City had a dropout rate of 70% and its graduation rate was 38%. “In 1991, 11.7% of girls between the ages of fifteen and nineteen had given birth. More than one out of ten” (Moore 100). Drugs were not uncommon either. According to Author Wes Moore, “There were over 100,000 known addicts in Baltimore, and the real number was arguably higher. The city’s population was just under 700,000” (111-112). When a child is exposed to these situations and scenarios, especially when they are a part of daily life, it becomes a norm in. Other Wes Moore witnessed these events take place. His brother was involved in the dealing of drugs and, later on, Other Wes Moore became part of the drug business as

Crime and punishment in the 1800s affected gender and social classes in a variety of ways. During this time period, a rapid increase in crime rates occurred due to poverty and poorly educated citizens. In particular, the shortage of housing, crowded rural areas, and the lack of education created an environment familiar with crime(Wong, 325). Many individuals were grouped together by their surroundings and crimes they were committing.

Poverty fosters large crime rates. Where you find poverty, you often find crime. Urban areas are commonly known to be densely populated. High population along with the close proximity of businesses provide criminals with larger amounts of potential targets. For many impoverished people, the potential benefits of crime outweigh the risks of being caught. The pressing need for material goods, such as food, can steer people to commit crimes. Often threats and violence produce larger quantities of goods, which provokes people to commit even more violent acts. These acts are carried out primarily by people from poorer segments of the population and who are more likely to live in urban areas.

When we get into how society and people look at crime, it happens in every city, every neighborhood, people are victims every day, businesses, and even property. Crime dates back since colonization and the rates have varied over time, believe it or not, crime has decreased over the years. As a matter of fact, the United States has been on a decline. The crime rate for the year 2000 was a total of 11,608,072 a declining year in 2015 with a total of 9,225,197. (U.S. Department of Justice)

I do believe that environmental and social conditions influence crime. Between all of the factors above, I believe that social factors play one of the biggest roles in crime. Many teenagers and young adults follow the labels that society gives them Where a person is living can also have a big impact on what they do. If they live in a very poor neighborhood, they would feel the need to steal or rob in order to live a good