SOCIAL THEORY

Social Theory

Social Theory

Why do people become criminals? Early Criminologist theorized that certain people were simply born criminals while others were not. They also believed that one could differentiate a criminal from regular citizens physical characteristics. Today in the year 2003 it is understood that those old beliefs are not correct . People are not born criminal and one can not tell who is a criminal by merely looking at him or her. The criminologist of today have produced much better theories on why people commit crime. Because there are so many different types of criminals today, it is impossible to place them all under one theory, that is why there a multiple theories. Theories such as the choice theory, integrated theory, latent trait theory, among others allow the criminal justice system to categorize criminals. By developing all these theories criminologist hope to better understand why certain types of crime happen, with the ultimate goal of finding out how they can be prevented from even occurring.

]What do the major theories of crime causation reveal about crime in your country and the rest of the world? How can they contribute to an understanding of crime patterns? Crime is a very complex phenomenon; it cannot be explained in a single theory that neatly ties together all nuances. Since crime can involve savage violence (Charles Manson, The BTK Killer, etc.) as well as highly sophisticated white collar crimes (Tyco, World Com, Enron, etc.), and can be committed by the lone disturbed offender (Jeffrey Dahmer the Cannibal, Timothy McVeigh, etc.) or highly organized criminal syndicates (Mafia, Yakuza, Triads, Mexican/Colombian Drug Cartels, etc.), it seems unlikely that a single theory will ever have the scope and power of all facets of illegal behavior.

Even the most sophisticated attempts fail to account for the great variety of criminal behavior that exists. Nonetheless, many criminologists would debate the wisdom of this analysis because it does not give any direction for crime prevention efforts. Should programs be based on punishment or treatment? Should efforts be directed at the school, family, neighborhood, jobs, the criminal justice system, or all of these? Advocates of the different criminal justice perspectives embrace the various criminological theories as evidence of the validity for their policies. Think about these theories then ask yourself if they apply to your community or society: Classical theory, which stresses punishment and deterrence, is the basis for the crime control perspective. In contrast, Sociological theories are used to substantiate the rehabilitation view of justice. If people are controlled by their environment and by their relationship with significant others, then it follows that their behavior can be changed by improving the quality of their social world. Similarly, the radical view of justice is supported by Social conflict theory, which states that people commit crimes when the law, controlled by the rich and powerful, defines their behavior as illegal, while Labeling theory provides the underpinning for the noninterventionist perspective. This theory maintains that people enter into lawviolating careers when they are labeled ...