Many theories of crime are macro theories, which are used to explain crime based on a large group of people or society. While macro theories are the predominant type of theory used to explain crime, there are also a variety of “individual”, or micro, factors which are equally important. Two such individual factors s are maternal cigarette smoking (MCS) and cognitive ability, or Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
Juvenile delinquency is a social issue that has been without much success with regards to its redress. This has mostly been contributed to failures to fully understand the concept. The best way to address such an issue can only be through the understanding of the causation mechanism that has led to the situation. There is a dire need to get an understanding of the causes of juvenile delinquency within the society being the only way to adequately comes up with preventive measures against delinquency. This is based on the sheer knowledge and fact that treatment of these deemed offenders can only be upon a clear understanding as well as appreciation of its causation mechanisms that gave rise to its preference.
In my opinion, I feel people commit crimes for numerous reasons, and many factors contribute to whether a crime occurs, and what types of crimes are committed. Furthermore, present in all criminology theory are two ontological assumptions, and the first assumption addresses whether human behavior is free willed or determined (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Subsequently, the next assumption considers the inherent condition of human beings, or the condition of human beings in a hypothetical state of nature (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Consequently, I feel different factors apply to different crimes, which include biological, psychological, or sociological factors (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). For instance, let us examine crimes of opportunity in Davidson County,
Crime has become a major issue of public concern and of political discussion. We do not fully understand what factors are causing these crime trends, nor do we know what direction in which crime rates are moving. “Understanding what factors are influencing these crime trends are important for enhancing the rationality of public policies and public expenditures related to crime, particularly because many such commitments have to be made well in advance of their actual use” (Blumstein, 2008). These include, for example, recruiting and training police forces, building prisons, and developing other interventions outside the criminal justice system. It’s easy to see what the contributing factors are when the crime stats are elevated, those contributing factors are loss in job opportunities for young people with minimal education, a loss in social services as a result of federal funding cuts, reductions in the size of police forces, diversion of police attention to terrorism issues, slower growth in the prison population, and diminished attention to gun control (Blumstein, 2008). If we take a look at the crime statistics for the state of Arizona over the last five years from 2007 to 2012 you’ll notice that the population has slightly increased by 200,000 more people but the violent crimes have decreased. The statistics on murder show that in 2007 there were 548 murders and in 2012 there were only 358, this is a 35 percent decrease over the last 5 years. Since the population has increased slightly you would think that the violent crimes like murder would go up or at least stay the same.
"Our primary aim is to discover how some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in the society to engage in nonconforming rather that conforming conduct. If we can locate groups peculiarly subject to such pressures, we should expect to find fairly high levels of deviant behaviour in these groups, not because the human beings comprising them are compounded of distinctive biological tendencies, but because they are responding to the social situation in which they find themselves"(Merton, 1957 p. 186).
Nevertheless, the criminologist includes the “Biological and Development theory of youthful crime which states that early age has high involvement in crime in contrast to older aged people” (Pratt & Cullen, 2005: 9). Also, “The Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Individual level theory represents that poverty and social elements are responsible for escalating the crime” (Pratt & Cullen, 2005: 9). It gathers the data from UCR for 2011and California’s Criminal Justice Statistics Center for 2012 regarding the violent arrest by age, race, county and poverty.
However, even if said theory is possible, the field of criminology is too young and the body of research to narrow at the present moment to suggest that individuals who commit crimes of passion due so for the same reason individuals commit white collar crime, rape, property crime, the distribution of contraband, or any other overt act that the state chooses to deem illegal. Indeed, as this paper has attempted to demonstrate, some of the most influential minds in the history of criminology have yet to create a true general theory that can consistently hold up to the rigours of empirical research by current criminologists who subject criminological theories to tremendous scrutiny. As a result, the search for a general theory of crime remains elusive at best and at worst, akin to chasing ghosts.
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Criminological paradigms or theories explain why people commit crimes and why individual behave in a certain situation. It also explanation of crime, the relationship between individual characteristic, social order, how individual develop crime, level, distribution of a crime and causes of crime. Most criminological paradigms or theories serve as an element to prevent crime in the society. These theories are designed to let people understand criminal behaviors, but they are yet to clarify why punishment or incarcerate of offenders is unable to prevent deviancy.
Criminology has different types of paradigms and theory, they are, rational choice, classical, conflict, critical, labeling, routine activity, social control, positive, life course, biosocial, strain and differential association theory.
Clark and Cornish (2004), postulate that most criminological theories tend to be deterministic and ignore the process that offenders use in deciding whether or not to commit a crime. They argue that this approach is flawed because an offender’s perception and “conscious thought process” gives his actions purpose, justification, and helps him select, attend to, or process information. Additionally, Clark and Cornish (2004) state that in 1960s, sociological approaches of the ‘Chicago School’ began to “stress the importance of developing an understanding the offender’s perspective.” Similarly, mainstream criminology began to subscribe to this concept due to “the apparent failure in the rehabilitative ideal,” which shifted attention and assets
Theories and research aspects are important aspects of life. Starting with research, research is an important aspect as it incorporates methodologies that one can use to study a topic and come up with profound findings on the study topic. Theories, on the other hand, explains some phenomena or mystical happenings in the environments. In the field of criminal justices, theories and research techniques are vital they help one to come up with findings on causes of crime and drive patterns from several behavioral sequences that help in crime management (Daly, 2011). The paper relates theory and research and shows their application from a criminal justice perspective.