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On February 22, 2016 an Uber driver, Jason B. Dalton, in Kalamazoo county was charged with six counts of murder, two of assault with intention to kill, and eight firearms violations. According to the New York Times, the article “Man Charged in Kalamazoo Shootings, but Motive Remains Mystery” by Mitch Smith and Richard Perez-Peña, Jason B. Dalton had no criminal record and during his video conference he understood the charges and choose to remain silent. Also, Dalton had no connections with the victims, who were ordinary people doing everyday things. The article states that there was no motive for Dalton to commit the crime, but to have an idea as to why he would have committed these crimes, the sociological imagination can be used to give perspective. The crime committed was in Kalamazoo, Michigan which is very close to the cities Chicago and Detroit where high crime rates are found in this state. This could have affected Dalton due to where he lives and the type of crimes he was exposed to on the news or in the neighborhood. Dalton could have experience violence first hand as a child …show more content…
economy, polity, etc.) around Dalton could have also played a role to his motive. Dalton’s occupation, an Uber driver, is not a high paying job, and it can be inferred that he does not have a high paying job nor a degree due to lack of education or minimal schooling. It is possible that Dalton did not get a high education and this could lead to frustration in his job or life in general, giving him a reason to be emotionally stressed and not think about his actions resulting in the murders. Polity can play a major role in this case as well, because Michigan’s gun laws are not as strict like other states and this gives easy access for anyone to get a gun. Dalton could have gotten carried away having the freedom to bare arms, or could have been trying to get a message across with gun control that resulted in death and
James Desmond Booth, who is presently 30, had received good grades all throughout all his years in school and had a good family life, after being adopted by his grandparents. He also played varsity basketball in his hometown, at New Smyrna Beach High School. His grandmother, Beulah Booth, stated that her grandson was also a good father to his daughter and infant son, while other family members suggested that he loved his young children and he continues to make contributions in their lives. It is peculiar that a man with these beginnings and familial connections went on to receive seven felony convictions, with some including “possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon” (Frederick 2014 p.1: Sept. 29, 2009). After sitting in on the current trial brought against Mr. Booth and taking notes, sociological theories of crime were utilized to help to interpret the previous actions of this particular man’s history of misconduct.
When horrific crimes occur in large cities, many of them can be chalked up to gang violence or to the larger population of that specific city. But when horrific crimes happen in small cities like Lincoln, Nebraska, people begin to ask questions like who did this and why. In 1958, a nineteen year old man named Charles Starkweather put the entire state of Nebraska and possibly the entire nation in a state of terror. With his murder spree taking only three days, Starkweather had collected a body count of ten bodies, including two teenagers and a young child. Understanding Starkweather’s past and state of mind begins to answer the second question of why.
In this case, Brown decided that the benefit of having his own room was worth the risk of committing murder. The choice to cover the murder weapon with a blanket indicates that rationale was used in planning the attack. This is important to note because Brown considered that concealing the weapon under a blanket would enable him to commit his crime undetected. Furthermore, Brown’s attempt to throw the shotgun shell into the grass on the way to the school bus demonstrates his understanding of what he was doing and his intent to hide the evidence. Due to this, it can be established that Brown weighed his options and knew that what he was doing was something that should be hidden and was less than forthright. As the theory claims that adolescent offenders are self-centered, Brown’s case reflects this through his inability to consider the needs or feelings of the others in his family (Siegel & Welsh,
These two men, both coming from different backgrounds, joined together and carried out a terrible choice that rendered consequences far worse than they imagined. Living under abuse, Perry Smith never obtained the necessary integrity to be able to pause and consider how his actions might affect other people. He matured into a man who acts before he thinks, all due to the suffering he endured as a child. Exposed to a violent father who did not instill basic teachings of life, Smith knew nothing but anger and misconduct as a means of responding to the world. He knew no other life. Without exposure to proper behavior or responsible conduct, he turned into a monster capable of killing an entire family without a blink of remorse. In the heat of the moment, Perry Smith slaughtered the Clutter family and barely stopped to take a breath. What could drive a man to do this in such cold blood? The answer lies within his upbringing, and how his childhood experiences shaped him to become the murderer of a small family in Holcomb, Kansas. ¨The hypothesis of unconscious motivation explains why the murderers perceived innocuous and relatively unknown victims as provocative and thereby suitable targets for aggression.¨ (Capote 191). ¨But it is Dr. Statten´s contention that only the first murder matters psychologically, and that when
Everyone is unique in his or her own way. Therefore, to ask the question, “ why someone committed that crime?” is a difficult question to answer. Biological, genetics, and learned behaviors are all factors that contribute to one’s state of mind. So, what would cause a ex-police officer, United States Navy veteran, and college graduate to become so mentally distraught, that he would become a mass murder against is former collogues and their families? When first hearing about Christopher Dorner you almost began to feel empathy for his actions. Dorner stated in his manifesto, that he was unfairly fired, which sparked his rage against the LAPD. Dorners killing spree led to the death of three incent victims.
Thomas A. Dutton’s use of logic is seen through out this entire article by presenting various examples that gives supporting evidence as to why Cincinnati is a violent city in the course of the Over-The- Rhine district. One example that supports this claim and relates to persuasiveness is that on April 7, a young man named Timothy Thomas was shot and killed by a white Cincinnati police officer. This was the start of all the controversy in the urban city. Since this has happened “recent census data shows that Cincinnati is the ninth most segregated city in the United States” (2). Dutton uses several statistics through out many years dating back as far as the 1940’s and shows that things persist to happen to get bad in this area. While many things are happening downtown with new buildings and stadiums, the fact that there is still this segregation between the black, the poor, and the upper class downtown, hurts the entire community. All of this evidence that is presented is very persuasive. They are convincing which shows that many people will also agree with what he has to say about this city. When a city like Cincinnati is being run down, a lot of crime happens and things need to be done about it.
These crime-ridden communities (or ghettos) are springing up all through the country, mainly in and around major metropolitan areas. These areas are the most populated, so that means that within these areas are the most people there to be influenced by the crimes committed by fellow people. In Male's reading he shows statistics that prove the fact that once the poverty factor is taken away then teen violence disappears. He later adds, “That if America wants to rid of juvenile violence than serious consideration needs to be given to the societally inflicted violence of raising three to 10 times more youth in poverty than other Western nations.” (Males p386)
The story and film, Minority Report, are set in a seemingly utopian, futuristic world. Criminality and murder does not exist in this society because of the organization Precrime. Precrime came to be with three precogs that have the ability to see murder before it occurs. So with this system all homicide has ceased in over six years, it is outwardly flawless. But as the story unfolds, it is clear that this “perfect” society is flawed in many ways. The story begins with the character John Anderton. He is the main executive of the Precrime division, and in the short story, he is uneasily approaching the age of retirement. In the film, Anderton is quite physiologically unstable because of divorce and the loss of his son. In both the story and
Watching this tragic documentary left me with a lot of questions. I can relate this documentary to more than one theory that I have learned in class, but I think the best theory that explains what I saw is the Psychological School of Criminology. This documentary is a vivid picture of how a person’s life can devastate them psychologically and turn them into something deplorable. According to the Psychological School of Criminology crime results from inappropriate conditioned behavior or abnormal, inappropriate or dysfunctional mental processes stemming from the personality. Defective or abnormal mental processes have a variety for causes including a diseased mind, inappropriate learning, or inadequate conditioning, usually in early childhood. This theory best fits with the documentary of Aileen: The life and death of a Serial Killer. All the mental or psychological damage was done to her during her childhood. All that made an impact on her to the point where she has no self-respect.
Carol Tavris was born in 1944, and got her PH.D. in Social Psychology. That is why she has so much credibility in this field of study. This essay wouldn’t mean anything if it wasn’t coming from someone who has the background and the credibility she does. A strong example of emotion is when she talks about Rodney King and the savage beating he received. It again shows how people in groups act different. There were 11 officers watching 4 of their colleagues beat this poor man. What were they thinking? Did they agree? These are some of the questions you have to ask yourself. One explanation, of course, is that they approved.(18). They may have identified with the abusers, vicariously participating in a beating they rationalized as justified.(18). This is sad but true, but what about the Kitty Genovese story. She was stabbed and killed in front of her apartment, while 38 neighbors heard and watched, not one called for help. This is called diffusion of responsibility or social loafing which pretty much means the more people in a group the lazier everyone gets thinking that someone else will do the right thing. This is just another example of emotion in Carol Tavris’s writing.
Moreover, teenagers can be seen as puppets during their childhood until adulthood, they grow up looking for role models in their parents or in their favorite social media person. They often look for cliques in order to fit into the “norm”. It is very possible that children pick up certain violent tendencies when they see television, social media, or experience abuse at home, or are psychologically ill from the start. For instance, Eric Smith, who was convicted as a juvenile at the age of 13 and was retired a decade later, was the alleged murder of the heinously killing and sodomizing of the body of Derrick Robie. The facts have shown “…that as a toddler, Smith threw temper tantrums and banged his head on the floor. He had speech problems, he was held back at school, and he was relentlessly bullied. When he asked for help with his anger, his adoptive father did not seem equipped to give it to him”
What are the root causes of a person becoming a serial killer? There have been many different serial killers over the past years, but only one is the infamous “Green River Killer.” Gary Ridgway was dubbed the “Green River Killer” because many of his first victims were found near the Green River in Washington. There are many factors which contribute as to why a person turns and takes their anger out on other people. Some people have a normal childhood with a loving family, while some are not so lucky. A loving family is built around the parents, but if the parents choose violence over love, then that is what the child will grow up only knowing. Gary Ridgway is an American serial killer who killed over sixty women within a twenty year period.
This all shows how different things in and around us can influence or cause us to behave in a certain manner. Whether it be, domestic violence or another criminal act. The sociological concept allows for blame to be taken away from some individuals, victims and or perpetrators and have it placed on society. This is a good thing as it allows us to look into ourselves, and see where we can be responsible for some of the evils of the world. It forces us to take some of the blame instead of always pointing fingers on the other person. Though not all criminal behavior follow along with this concept, many do, and it is therefore important for everyone to be familiar with it and be able to put it to use.
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 individuals commit crime through their association with or exposure to others. According to Akers, people learn how to be offenders based on their observations around them and their association with peers. Theorist Akers states that for one, “people can become involved in crime through imitation—that is by modeling criminal conduct. Second, and most significant, Akers contended that definition and imitation are most instrumental in determining initial forays into crime” (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball 2011:57). Although Akers’ theory has been linked to juvenile delinquency in the past, it has also been tested as a possible cause of crime overall. Individuals learn from observation that criminal behavior is justifiable in certain circumstances. In connection with juvenile delinquency and crime, peers and intimate groups have the most effect on individuals when associated with criminal behavior. One is more likely to mimic the behavior of someone who they have close ties with, whether the behavior is justifiable or...
Crime is an in inevitable occurrence in today 's culture. Despite the best efforts of our country 's criminal justice system, crime continues to be on the rise. In an effort to reverse this rising tide, efforts are being made to understand the underlying cause of crime and factors that can lead an individual into the life of crime. From the sociological perspective, there are three theories that are used to explain the cause of crime. They are the social structure theory, the bad neighborhood theory, and the social process theory.