A Research Proposal On Domestic Violence

These ideologies help convey various differences in public opinions towards domestic violence, and how much blame should be placed on the victims themselves. Through proper research in this area, many criminal justice agencies and lawmakers can develop and implement various policies and laws, which will aim not only to protect the victims, but also to lower re-victimization levels, as well as providing adequate education, punishment, and counselling for those who are the perpetrators of this nasty crime. Description/Explanation of the Topic/Issue The question many ask of victims of domestic violence is why they stay in abusive relationships (Nitu, 2012). Leaving an abusive relationship is, most of the times, easier said than done. As Nitu (2012) notes, many women who are in abusive relationships have a true fear of further violence if they leave, attempt to leave, or seek help in dealing with an abusive relationship.

After reading this paper the reader should have a better understanding on how the Criminal Justice System works and why it is needed help promote a safe environment for our society. In order to understand what crime is we must first look at the definition of what criminal activity is. The term crime comes from a classification of wrongdoing that were established by state or Congress as a felony or misdemeanor, which is committed against a public law. Crime is defined as all deviance involving violating norms, but some norms attract the attention of the authorities. Acts that have been declared illegal by some authority are called crime (Curry, Jiobu, & Schwirian, 1999).

Society has high expectations for criminal justice. Controlling the behavior of people is a difficult task, and there are several differing opinions on how this should happen. Many believe this can best accomplished by prevention through deterrence. Deterrence can be achieved from increased police patrols, good relationships with the community, and through tough penalties for convicted criminals. When deterrence fails, criminals need to be identified and held accountable for their actions.

As Joe Arpuio states “getting tough on crime,” the tougher retributive punishments are, may again deter crime. Deterrence- Deterrence is the intention to prevent future crimes from taking place, becoming split into two specific types of deterrence, general and specific. General deterrence is “actions that take place to persuade other persons from committing criminal acts” (Couture, 2014, p. 128). While specific deterrence is “punishments aimed at stopping... ... middle of paper ... ...ause it deals with society as a whole. Yes, general deterrence may use certain individuals as an example for society, but if the punishment for that certain individual is strict enough and is able to deter others from society from committing crime it is doing its job.

1. Criminology Criminology is the science of studying how laws are made, the breaking of laws, and the social reaction to the breaking of laws. Criminologists research past criminal events to contribute to decrease the crime rates and develop a society that is less vulnerable to criminal acts. There are different theories that have emerged over the years that have helped criminologists to get to solid conclusions on the relation between crime and society. The study of criminology is important because it helps society understand what the crimes are, and how criminals who commit this crimes are punished.

In the wake of the “get tough on crime movement,” several states have adopted extremely stringent sentencing requirements for repeat offenders. Local, state, and federal leaders claim that these laws help prevent crime through deterrence while removing potential dangerous offenders from the streets. While this removes deviants from the streets, it also may result in disproportionate punishment for an otherwise minor crime. This paper seeks to analyze the three strikes law and determine its effectiveness in recidivism and new crimes (Eastvedt, 2008). May The may portion of the Can-May-Should analysis addresses whether or not the government has the authority from God, the Constitution, and the people to address a specific policy or law (Akers, 2013).

State and Federal objectives of punishment Today punishment is the most dominant correctional goal of both the state and federal government in response to criminality. The purpose of punishment is to protect society, rehabilitate criminal offenders, and reduce recidivism. In both the state and federal correctional institutions, their objectives are to use punishment as form deterrence while incapacitating and, rehabilitating offenders. For punishment to be successful it must be so unpleasant that it will hopefully deter inmates from reverting to such life and also deter others from taking part in such activities. In response to the growing public concern over criminality, politicians have adopted a Tough on Crime approach when dealing with law breakers, and have pushed for new legislation to keep criminal offenders from further harming or terrorizing society.

Criminology is the study of why individuals engage or commit crimes and the reasons as to why they behave in certain ways in different situations (Hagan, 2010). Through understanding the reasons or why an individual commits a crime, one can come up with ways to prevent and control crime or rehabilitate criminals. There exist a large number of criminology theories, some link crime to an individual or person; they believe a person weighs the cons and pros and makes a conscious decision on whether to commit or not commit a felony. Others see the society as having a duty to make sure that its members do not engage in criminal acts by providing a secure and safe living place. Some claim that some people have hidden or dormant characteristics that determine their reaction or behavior when confronted or put in particular negative conditions (Akers & Sellers, 2012).

“Restorative justice is an approach to crime and other wrongdoings that focuses on repairing harm and encouraging responsibility and involvement of the parties impacted by the wrong.” This quote comes from a leading restorative justice scholar named Howard Zehr. The process of restorative justice necessitates a shift in responsibility for addressing crime. In a restorative justice process, the citizens who have been affected by a crime must take an active role in addressing that crime. Although law professionals may have secondary roles in facilitating the restorative justice process, it is the citizens who must take up the majority of the responsibility in healing the pains caused by crime. Restorative justice is a very broad subject and has many other topics inside of it.

Security officers should exercise an active role in spearheading crime prevention and loss prevention by undertaking various mitigation actions that are essential in preventing crime and loss of property. Public or private security should assess the risky situation in their area of operation that could possibly lead to crime or loss of property and come up with the possible solutions to avoid them. Moreover, installation of the vital crime prevention system is instrumental role towards tracking any incidence of crime and barring others from taking place (O’Block, Donnermeyer & Doeren, 1991). Policing is another important role of security in crime prevention that entails sensitizing members of the public, on the need to reporting crimes or any suspicious acts that could lead to possible crime, and taking an active role in preventing crime. The security should pursue security issues with a lot of steadfastness by assessing and carrying out thorough investigation on the reported crimes to deter and prevent future crimes (O’Block, Donnermeyer & Doeren, 1991).