There have been many studies that have been conducted to determine why people become drug dealers, and what makes these drug dealers “tick.” There are four main articles that will be discussed to help answer the question of why people become drug dealers. These articles include “The Motives and Mechanics of Operating an Illegal Drug Enterprise”, “Researching Dealers and Smugglers”, “Researching Crack Dealers”, and lastly, “Drifting into Dealing: Becoming a Cocaine Seller”. In addition to the presentation of these articles and their main arguments and points, answers to the question that were conducted using traditional criminological theories will be compared and contrasted to view the similarities and differences that these articles have …show more content…
The first theory is Rational Choice Theory. This theory states that an individual thinks through each action, deciding on whether or not it would be the risk of committing a crime to acquire potential benefits. These goals may be financial, pleasure, or another type of beneficial result that would further their choice in committing a crime, in this case, a drug crime. Rational Choice Theory relates to an individual as well as the location in which they live in. If an individual lives in a highly populated, low income, area, the opportunities for that individual to make a decent living may be limited. If their opportunities are limited, it is more likely for them to become involved in the dealing of drugs to make a living. If an individual weighs the cost and the benefits of becoming involved in selling illegal drugs, it is very possible for that individual to realize that selling drugs is the better, easier, option for them. Bucerius (2007) states that young males are more likely to become involved in the selling of drugs that are part of a low income neighborhood. Many of these drug transactions take place on the open streets in public because it is more common in these lower class areas than not. This idea of a widespread drug industry on the open streets has a large impact on others who are becoming involved in selling drugs. This perception will affect a person’s choice of whether or not to
The United States has the world's highest incarceration rate. With five percent of the world's population, our country houses nearly twenty-five percent of the world's reported prisoners. Currently there are approximately two million people in American prisons or jails. Since 1984 the prison population for drug offenders has risen from ten percent to now over thirty percent of the total prison population. Federal prisons were estimated to hold 179,204 sentenced inmates in 2007; 95,446 for drug offenses. State prisons held a total of 1,296,700 inmates in 2005; 253,300 for drug offenses. Sixty percent of the drug offenders in prisons are nonviolent and were purely in prison because of drug offenses (Drug War Facts). The question then arises,
There is a common misconception held by society of drug dealers as violent criminals , shady anti- social characters , which is further propagated by the media . But how true is this type of portrayal? These traits are existent , but it isn’t that black and white. According to Shook, Vaughn, Goodkind & Johnson (2013), only little is known about the character traits of drug dealers . The drug market has also changed in recent years with prescription drugs gaining popularity over street drugs ( article 7), which could mean a different type of drug-dealer emerging. In general Three personality types of drug dealers have been determined that differ in their deviant behaviour and drug use. (article 2 ) Specifically the age group of 12-17 has been widely studied in regards to drug dealing, as they are a group that is at high risk and there is evidence that drug- trafficking in adolescents has increased ( article 5). In an american survey, The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), it has been estimated that 8% of 12-17 year olds have sold drugs before. So to prevent adolescents from later life drug dealing, they are the ones that have to be targeted with prevention measures.
Additionally, it enables the audience to process the idea easier and quicker by connecting it to something that is very widely known by the population. As a result, this aids the authors in getting their point across of why drug dealers still live with their mothers. Furthermore, the authors explain that the lower part of the pyramid of drug dealers only makes about $3.30 an hour (100). They proceed to explain why people still drug deal even when it is dangerous. It is for, “The same reason that a pretty Wisconsin farm girl moves to Hollywood… the same reason that a high-school quarterback wakes up at 5 am to lift weights” (102). This comparison shows that the drug dealers are trying to get in the high 2.2% where the money is effectively gathered in order for one to prosper (100). They are showing determination, the same as others trying to succeed in different professions and positions. Additionally, this comparison to adolescence activities does show an appeal to the audience’s emotions of dedication. It focuses on teenage dreams that the audience can compare the drug dealers persistency
1b. List and describe briefly the major structures of the brain, as presented in your textbook, including the function of those elements that are most related to psychoactive drug reaction.
these trends and patterns that drug trafficking has undergone. The article splits the trends and/or
Drug dealers need to ensure that their deals are profitable, consequently developing links with users willing to spend large amounts on illicit substances (Nicholas 2008).
Drug trafficking is the worldwide illegitimate trade, which involve the cultivating, producing, distributing and the selling of materials that are subject to the drug proscription laws. There are a number of drugs which are trafficked into the United States. These include, but are not limited to heroin, marijuana and cocaine. The system of drug trafficking in the United States as well as in other countries and continents remains very complex. Although the government and non-government bodies have set important laws to exclude the practice, drug trafficking has been a disturbing problem for many years. Many people who venture into this dangerous and prohibited business do it in search for money. It has been a belief that drug trafficking gives people a
Crime occurs when someone the formal written law by an overt act, omission or neglect that can result in punishment (Macionis, et, al., 2013, p.161). The impact of deviance can last for a long time on an individual, and the coping up ways of each individual that has been affected by crime differs from one another. Macionis, et, al., (2013) states that, “the problem of illegal drugs in countries such as Canada is a demand issue. The demand for cocaine and other drugs is increasing in alarming rate; as a result people look for illegal ways to get drugs. Which increase in crime rate on how people smuggle these drug to where it’s illegal, and high rates of addiction in many young people who are willing to risk arrest or even death for a chance
Griselda Blanco was born on February 15, 1943 in Cartagena, Colombia. As a little girl her mother Ana Lucia Restrepo raised her in a city called Medellin in which is located in Colombia. At age 11 Griselda, allegedly kidnapped, tried to ransom, and eventually shot a child from an upscale flatland neighborhood near her own slum neighborhood. At age 14 she was reported to have run away from home and she stated that her mother was physically abusive. Since she run away from home at an early age she resorted to prostitution. Around the age of 20 she meet Carlos Trujillo and had three sons Dixon, Uber, and Osvaldo. Later on she remarried and had a fourth son with Alberto Bravo who then decided to move to the United States. Around the 1970s and
This theory focuses on the criminal behavior being linked to social control. Street crimes that are criminal in nature are characterized by Matsueda, Kreger and Huizinga as “irrational and suboptimal.” When criminals rob, most have made the financial decision to go through with the crime; they have found it both rational and optimal. They not only weighted the rewards of robbing but also the risks. Most figure that robbing was the best possible decision they could have made to help them through a crisis. According to Mr. McCarthy, there are four different assumptions of the rational choice theory; people have certain preferences, those preferences are stable, they only think about the present rather than look to the future's outcomes and most of those outcomes are risky and ambiguous. Sometimes, people may act irrationally, prohibiting the rational choice approach because of it being a cause of a sensitive time of their life or a sudden adjustment to their everyday life. McCarthy also brings up that the rational choice theory proposes everyday expenses and costs will influence people to offend. The rational choice theory presumes that the risk attitude of offenders are not grounded in reality. Overall, criminals do choose to make poor choices but it is those choices that are surrounded by emotions and
Crack Cocaine the drug that has impacted so many lives; especially the life of rappers. Crack Cocaine is the refined result of cocoa leaves. However, crack cocaine was not developed until the cocaine boom of 1970. Large shipments of this drug was now making its way into the inner cities of the United States, and the majority of residents living in those inner cities were African American. Black on black crime was now more common than ever, incarceration within the black community was skyrocketing, abandonment of children was typical and the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases was devastating. Many factors were playing a part of this, and Hip Hop was a big one. Hip hop from the golden ages of Grandmaster flash and to modern day Lil
Overall, Williams claims he was able to overcome these barriers and still accumulate a collection of observations on each cocaine kid’s behaviour, and their business operation including production, packing, selling, profits, and cocaine consumption (1989). Williams’ book is based on his ethnographical research on eight teenagers who are involved in the cocaine market, their role being sellers. This is the first weakness of Williams’ work because his sample size is relatively small. In other words, his findings on eight cocaine dealers is limited in numbers and in terms of geographical locations – Bronx, Harlem and Washington Heights. Thus they are not universally applicable, and general conclusions cannot be made.
The rational choice theory and the broken windows theory are similar in that they are both theories that suggest ways of deterring criminal activity. In fact, the broken windows theory is a subcategory of the rational choice theory. However, though they are interrelated, they differ in some aspects. Rational choice theory suggests that convincing potential and known criminals that the risk of committing a crime outweighs the benefits to be gained can deter them from committing criminal acts. On the other hand, the broken window theory suggests that urban decay can lead to increased criminal activity, so public order in urban neighborhoods needs to be maintained in order to deter criminal actions.
As a result of my experiences with higher academia, I have begun to recognize the inaccurate assumptions that I have made about the drug market from exposure to biased instruction from adults, media, and politics. From this realization, I feel confident in stating that the general public’s knowledge on this illicit economy consists of falsified stereotypes. Information provided throughout this course has presented a proper education regarding where the supply is produced, how drugs are trafficked into different countries, and who distributes illegal substances to users. The nation of Colombia thoroughly demonstrates a country involved in all of the aspects, production, trafficking and street sales, of a drug economy. Through a more comprehensive
Drug trafficking has played a huge role on many people's lives. It is believed to be stimulated by their environments, peers, upbringings and psychological factors.