If you search the word Crime in Google the first definition that will pop up is “an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.”(Google search engine) Now this doesn’t sound fun, in fact, that’s why most of society avoids breaking the law. There are those who commit crime regardless of the risk. Breaking down crime into sub categories, society is inundated with all kinds of different crime. The focus for this paper is Theft. People often wonder, what motivates criminals to commit theft? The answer is difficult and must be examined by what type of theft or thievery is committed. Some of the most recognizable types of theft are bank robbers, con artist, art thief, and a simple pick pocket.
First off, Bank robberies. Bank robberies back in the early 1930s had been a booming business to get into, due to the fact that the great depression was in full swing and jobs were a luxury to have. People needed money fast and in the article by Allan May and Marilyn Bardsley, they state that the banks painted a target on their backs by *“…having miserable public relations problems during the Depression. Many of them failed, sweeping away the life savings of millions of hard working people. Those that stayed in business foreclosed on people's homes, farms and businesses…” Many Americans believed that there was *“…even a touch of Robin Hood…” to the bank robber. (*Allan May, Marilyn Bardsley Criminal library “Little Bohemia”) Many of the bank robbers believed in this theory themselves. They believed that they were stealing from the bank which stole from the people, believing that it was almost their moral obligation to take the money. The Great depression caused a great deal o...
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... steal money which they inevitably usually close the bank down and people lose their jobs. Con artist deceives people. It’s a game to them. They steal from businesses and people causing vulnerability which lead to asset losses and debt. Art thieves are selfish, cause museums to lose credibility and objects of interest, which inevitability loses visitors and donations which keep them afloat. Pick pockets steal money from hard working people who make an honest living. They can make people feel exposed and vulnerable to the world and ruin credit they have worked there entire life to build. Nothing good comes from thieves. They only cause Manheim in people’s lives and hurt the economy. They all are greedy and selfish in their own way and could represent a mosquito to society: they only suck the life and money out of it and the world would be a better place without them.
...ulture and beliefs. Another reason one might commit a crime, is when people fail to achieve society’s expectations through legal means such as hard work and delayed gratification, they may attempt to achieve success through crime. People also develop motivation and the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with. Some criminals commit crimes because of the controls that society places on a person through institutions such as schools, workplaces, churches, and families. Sometimes there are occasions where a persons actions goes against what society considers normal, and as a result it is instead considered a crime. Also some criminals continue their criminal acts because they have been shunned by their society because once a person is labeled a criminal, society takes away their opportunities, which in most cases leads to more criminal behavior.
Shootings. Homicides. Bombings. It’s safe to say that crime is very abundant in today’s society, filling our news casts with daily reminders of the negative ora that is associated with criminal behavior. But why do people commit the crimes that they commit? Theologians have been studying crime for years, trying to determine the main reasons as to who commits crime and why. These theologians, such as Edwin Sutherland, Ronald Akers, and Robert Agnew, each take very unique view of criminal behavior, giving society many rationalities for these why people exhibit these behaviors.
Crime exists everywhere. It is exists in our country, in the big cities, the small towns, schools, and even in homes. Crime is defined as “any action that is a violation of law”. These violations may be pending, but in order to at least lower the crime rate, an understanding of why the crimes are committed must first be sought. There are many theories that are able to explain crimes, but three very important ones are rational choice theory, social disorganization theory and strain theory.
Robert Merton (1938) argued that members of American society are socialised to want the culturally defined goals such as the ‘American dream’ where success is attributed to material wealth. When they are denied access to the legitimate means, they resort to illegitimate means such as criminality and deviance to attain what they have been taught to want. (Lanier&Henry,1998) It could be argued that America is organised for crime due to its overwhelming significance placed on material success. This may explain why America has the highest rate of imprisonment, in 2000 approximately two million men and women were serving prison sentences. (Fleisher&Decker,2006) Similarly, Toy and Stanko (2008) identify that being part of a society that attributes achievement with material wealth are other factors which may influence becoming gang affiliated. (Harris et al, 2011)
Winfree, T., & Abadinsky, H. (2nd Ed.). (2003). Understanding Crime: Theory and Practice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth publishers.
Wilson, James and Herrnstein, Richard. "Crime & Human Nature: The Definitive Study of the Causes of Crime" New York: Free Press, 1998.
Kelling, George L. Thinking About Crime: Is There a Right to Beg? 1993. Web. 10 December 2013.
Muncie, J., and Mclaughin, E. (1996) The Problem of Crime. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publication Ltd.
In chapter 3 of the Crime and Justice in America textbook, Joycelyn Pollock provides information about the three theories of crime. These theories help us to explain the motivation behind different criminal acts. The reasons why one would commit a crime may be due to biological, psychological, or sociological influences. This paper will explore the high profile cases of The State vs. Casey Anthony and The United States vs. Enron, and link them to one the theories of crime causation detailed by Pollock in chapter 3. We will explore the evidence of what motivated these people to commit the crimes they were charged with.
Crime has been no stranger to American history, from the very beginning there has been thieves, smugglers, and murderers, but rarely had they captivated the attention and sentiment of the public the way they did during the 1930s. Anyone living during the Great Depression had heard of gangsters like Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, and many more, but even though they were known criminals the public was able to sympathize and identify with them. During the Great Depression much resentment was felt towards the financial establishment and government. The popular opinion at the time was that the Federal Government and the ...
Crime and Everyday Life chapter two, The Chemistry for Crime outlines the various components of a crime. Noting that offenders are just one small element to any crime. In all honesty offenders are a variable waiting for time that all the elements are in place. Violent, predatory crimes only occur while an absence of guardians around a target. Clarke named the check list for a target or hot product as, concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable, and disposable. Equally, fights develop in the absence of peacemakers and a present crowd. Illegal sales crime all depend on the setting that offers coverage and removed management. The Chemistry for Crime argues that everyday life tempts as well as diminishes the potential for crime, influencing
White collar crimes do not garner as much media attention as that of violent crimes (Trahan, Marquart, & Mullings 2005). This is an odd fact because white collar crimes cost society much more than violent crimes do (Messner & Rosenfeld 2007). While there are many different definitions for white collar crime, Schoepfer and Piquero describe it as a nonphysical crime that is used to either obtain goods or to prevent goods from being taken (2006). People who commit these crimes are looking for personal or some sort of organizational gain and are being pressured to be economically successful from the idea of the American dream. The authors suggest that there are two types of people who commit crimes, those who have an immense desire for control and those who fear losing all they have worked hard for (Schopfer & Piquero 2006). Both groups have different reasons for turning to crime, but both groups commit the crime to benefit themselves. It was found that higher levels of high school drop outs were directly correlated to levels of embezzlement in white collar crime (2006). Because they are drop outs, they are less likely to be successful legitimately and turn to crime more often than their graduate
There are certain skills and attributes that enable fences (or thieves) to cope with the economic, legal, and moral problems associated with participating in illegal activities. The main requirements mentioned in the reading include larceny sense, connections to the underworld and beyond, and charisma.
First and foremost, a thief must be someone who views crime as subjectively acceptable and objectively available. In other words, even if someone views crime as morally acceptable but does not have access
Human antisocial behaviour is complex and trying to understand it has always proven to be a daunting intelligent task, especially in modern culturally diverse societies. Crime, broadly defined as behaviour through which individuals obtain resources for others through uncouth means, presents as one of the most refractory internal social dilemmas. Understanding individual criminal acts such a murder, rape or motives behind them is intricate, rather their behavioral definitions and causes offers a more clear platform for argumentative reasoning. Criminal behaviour, regardless of manner, involves use of barbaric methodologies to obtain symbolic or material resources. Criminal behavior results from methodical processes that involve intricate interactions among isolated, societal, and environmental factors in people’s lives.