criminology

681 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Negative consequences of peer pressure

In June 2010, Earl Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud for a Ponzi scheme he ran. It is estimated that between 1982 and 2009, Earl Jones, had stolen over 50 Million dollars (Wikipedia, 2013). This paper will use the stain theory, from the sociological perspective, and the behaviour theory, from the psychological theories, to explain the crimes of Earl Jones.
Earl Jones seemed to have a regular and happy upbringing. He played hockey for many years, grew up with many friends and is remembered as the guy who was always smiling. But for almost 30 years, Earl Jones was living the life of a conman (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2011). In his early twenties Jones began working in the financial field dealing with estate planning and handling wills. In his late thirties, Jones, without registering as a financial advisor, managed to open his own investment advising business. Jones seemed to have a knack for getting people to invest their money with him. He raised money by promising investors impressive returns on their investments, but Jones never invested any of the funds he brought in. He used new funds to pay off the old investors. Over the years Jones had spent over 13 million dollars of the money he raised living an upscale lifestyle and the rest was spent paying off returns that never really existed (Barlow, 1995).
One theory that can be applied to this crime, put forth by Robert K. Merton in 1938, is the strain theory. The strain theory is a thought that individuals feel pressure to reach socially determined goals. Society is divided up into of five categories that describes how people deal with strain; Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Rebellion or Retreatism. Goals generally set out by society would ...

... middle of paper ...

...ument that both the stain theory and the behaviour theory have played a major role in the life of Earl Jones. One can only hope that the positive punishment of jail time has changed to way Jones will conduct his behaviour upon release.

Works Cited

Barlow, H. (1995). Crime and Public Policy: Putting Theory to Work. Boulder, CO: Westview Press Inc.

Bartol, C. R. & Bartol, A. M. (2008). Criminal Behavior: A Phychosocial Approach (8th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson education inc.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Producer). (2011). Getting Off Easy: White-Collar Criminals [DVD]. Toronto, ON: CBC Learning

Schmalleger, F., & Volk, R. (2011). Canadian criminology today: Theories and applications.
Toronto: Pearson.

Wikipedia, The free Encyclopedia. (2013, October 27). Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Jones_(investment_advisor)

Show More
Related

  • The Lives and Work of James Earl Jones and Geoffrey Holder

    2296 Words  | 5 Pages

    James Earl Jones’s early life was difficult, and he was a part of the Great Migration. He was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi in 1931. Jones was raised by his maternal grandparents, for his father had left his mother when Jones was very young. She too left him at a young age, but visited from time to time. “I rejoiced in her visits, yet her impending departure brought me to grief” (Jones 18). Jones’s grief was routed in a feeling of abandonment. His did not see his father for many years, and his mother’s visits were infrequent, but his grandparents were very loving, and he would respect them as his parents (Jones 21). His attachment to his grandparents profoundly affected his life when he was nearly abandoned again. At age 5, his grandparents decided to move north to Michigan, and on the way they stopped by Memphis, Tennessee where they attempted to leave Jones with his paternal grandmother. ...

    Read More

  • Merging Agnew's General Strain Theory and Hirschi's Social Bond Theory

    1899 Words  | 4 Pages

    Agnew, R. (2011). Pressured into crime: General strain theory. In F. Cullen & R. Agnew (Eds.),

    Read More

  • Reasons behind the White Collar Crimes of Charles Ponzi

    1874 Words  | 4 Pages

    In criminology there are numerous theories as to the causes of different types of crime. These theories are extremely important in the continuous debate of the ways in which crime should be managed and prevented. Many theories have surfaced over the years. These theories continue to be explored individually and in combination, as criminologists search for the best solutions in ultimately reducing types and levels of crime. These theories include rational choice theory, social learning theory, and biology amongst many others. In this case study strain theory will be used to describe the reasons behind the white collar crimes of Charles Ponzi.

    Read More

  • Strain Theory And Strain Theory

    1691 Words  | 4 Pages

    This paper presents how labeling theory and strain theory can explain the crimes that the White family from West Virginia commit on a daily basis. The wonderful White of West Virginia portrays corruption and poverty. They do not conform to any authority or rules; all they want to do is fuss, fight and party. The White family takes part in shoot-outs, robberies, gas huffing, drug dealing, pill popping and murders. They are famously known for their Hill Billy tap dancing and wild criminal ways.

    Read More

  • Criminal Justice

    751 Words  | 2 Pages

    The individuals within our society have allowed we the people to assess and measure the level of focus and implementation of our justice system to remedy the modern day crime which conflict with the very existence of our social order. Enlightening us to the devices that will further, establish the order of our society, resides in our ability to observe the Individual’s rights for public order.

    Read More

  • What Is Stage Criminology?

    1944 Words  | 4 Pages

    Multiple theories are competing with each other to solve the same puzzle of understanding why people commit crime. General strain theory states that crime is caused by individuals experiencing strain and coping with this by committing crimes (Agnew, 1992). Self-control theory argues that an individual 's level of self-control will stop a person from committing crime. These two theories are in conflict of explaining why people cause crime, self-control theory states that people are inherently capable of crime because people avoid pain and seek pleasure (Gottfredson, & Hirschi,

    Read More

  • Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    Their previous statement leads me to say that I do believe the general strain theory should be accepted when creating crime control policies. People’s emotions, especially juveniles, whether they are positive or negative, will lead them to be acted upon in some way. I believe that the general strain theory can help explain why people commit crime. When creating a crime control policy, criminologists should definitely reference this theory in order to understand how to correctly come up with a solution to the problem. This way, crime can be contained and the offenders can be dealt with in a way that’s beneficial to both them and the criminal justice

    Read More

  • Criminology And Criminal Justice Theories

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    While the study of criminal justice and the formation of criminal justice theories are largely molded by several other disciplines such as psychology and sociology (Wellford, 2007), the study of criminal justice has grown and it is time for it to stand alone as its own scientific discipline. Crime theories are developed through studying individuals and assessing as well as their environment and other social aspects. These theories are then used to help form policies in order to deter the individual or group from committing further crimes. Criminal justice theories are not only used for crime but there are also theories which aid criminal justice personnel in the application of the practices that they use. The criminal justice policies are implemented

    Read More

  • Ted Bundy: The Mind of a Killer

    2059 Words  | 5 Pages

    Eysenck, H.J., & Gudjonsson, G.H. (1989). The causes and cures of criminality. Contemporary Psychology, 36, 575-577.

    Read More

  • Critical Criminology

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    Critical criminology, also known as radical criminology dates back to the concepts of Marxism. Despite the fact that Fredric Engels and Karl Marx were the founders of contemporary radical criminology, none of them gave explicit focus to crime. William Bonger (1876-1940), a Dutch criminologist was a more direct founder of this concept. It gained popularity during the early 1970s when it tried to explain the causes of contemporary social mayhem. He used economic explanations were used by critical criminology to analyze social behavior by arguing that social and economic inequalities were the main reason behind criminal behavior (Henry & Lainer, 1998). This view reduces the focus on individual criminals and elaborates that the existing crime is as a result of the capitalist system. Just like the conflict school of thought, it asserts that law is biased since it favors the ruling or the upper class and that the legal system that governs the state is meant to maintain the status quo of the ruling class. Critical criminologist are of the view that political, corporate and environmental crime are not only underreported but also inadequately punished by the existing criminal legal system.

    Read More

  • Juveniles Should Be Tried as Adults

    2004 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wilson, James and Herrnstein, Richard. "Crime & Human Nature: The Definitive Study of the Causes of Crime" New York: Free Press, 1998.

    Read More

  • Strain Theories of Criminal Behaviour

    2001 Words  | 5 Pages

    Strain theories of criminal behaviour have been amongst the most important and influential in the field of criminology. Taking a societal approach, strain theories have sought to explain deficiencies in social structure that lead individuals to commit crime (Williams and McShane 2010). Strain theories operate under the premise that there is a societal consensus of values, beliefs, and goals with legitimate methods for achieving success. When individuals are denied access to legitimate methods for achieving success, the result is anomie or social strain. This often leads an individual to resort to deviant or criminal means to obtain the level of success that they are socialized to pursue. This is the basic premise of strain theory. This paper will explore the evolution of strain theories by first examining their intellectual foundations which laid the foundation for Robert Merton’s theories of anomie and strain. Merton’s strain theory will be discussed in detail including the modes of adaptation that people use when faced with societal strain. Finally, the paper will conclude with the strengths and weaknesses of Merton’s strain theory and an examination of the criminological theories and social policies it has influenced.

    Read More

  • Are Criminals Born or Made?

    2147 Words  | 5 Pages

    Understanding Psychology and Crime; Perspectives on Theory and Action, New York. PENNINGTON, D ( 2002) , Introducing Psychology: Approaches, Topics and Methods, London, Hodder Arnold TANNENBAUN, B, (2007),Profs link criminal behaviour to genetics [online] , Available at: http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2007/11/profs_link_criminal_behavior_to_genetics [accessed 16th October 2011]. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/41182390/Explanations-of-Criminal-behaviour

    Read More

  • The Causes of Criminal Behavior

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Different schools of thought propose varying theoretical models of criminality. It is agreeable that criminal behaviour is deep rooted in societies and screams for attention. Biological, Social ecological and psychological model theories are key to helping researchers gain deeper comprehension of criminal behaviour and ways to avert them before they become a menace to society. All these theories put forward a multitude of factors on the outlooks on crime. All these theories have valid relevancy to continuous research on criminal behaviour.

    Read More

  • Criminology Definition

    337 Words  | 1 Pages

    If you look up the word criminology in the dictionary it would be defined as a scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon. Social phenomenon? Say what?

    Read More

More about criminology

Open Document