Theory Of Crime

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It’s an American stereotype that the majority of crime occurs from people with lower socioeconomic status, but self reported studies tell us that many Americans from the privileged class engage in crime so there must be other reasons why people turn to crime. The social process theory is the view of crime where someone with negative experiences from family, peers, schools, neighborhoods, and work makes them a criminal. In this paper I am going to discuss how these factors may influence someone to turn to a life of crime. We begin with family.
Most of the family trouble occurs if there is a single parent. If a parent is a criminal, or abuses drugs, their child may follow in their footsteps. Within a divorce a parent may try to make up for the loss of the other parent, this is hard to do so, and there is a great chance of failure. These children with single parents receive less encouragement and less help with school work, and as a result, the child receives less attention. So they will do rebellious acts to get this attention. And the child is more likely to get away with their rebellious acts due to the lack of supervision since only one parent is around. And in a single parent family since income is cut in half, the family may have to move to a lower income neighborhood where the risk of crimes and drugs is more prevalent. And the children may find the attention they seek in gangs.
Next we move to education. Children who do poorly in school lack motivation and feel alienated. These kids are more likely to engage in criminal acts.
Schools contribute to criminality because they label the “bad kids” from the “good kids. A “bad kid” would be a bully. This begins at an early age and everyone has experienced one. As kids get older,...

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...s dreams of graduate school are shattered since he is expelled from school for stealing. So he needs to make a living some other way so turns to crime. Gets caught and is sent to prison.
I don’t agree with the social process theory 100%. But this theory along with the other theories all have influences when trying to explain criminality. Each theory has some validity. I do agree that in high school peers can play a major role when influencing another students decisions whether or not to commit a crime. I also agree in the lack of attention factor in single parent homes. A child wants to get attention somewhere from someone even if it means the law (the cops for doing something illegal). The theory I agree with most is the choice theory. Because whether or not you do something illegal is ultimately a decision you make. You do it or you don’t; it’s you’re choice.

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