Punctuated Equilibrium Theory

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Recommended: Treatment of sexual offenders updated review

Deep- Seated Prejudice According to some criminal justice experts, many feel that the laws surrounded around sex offenses come from a place of prejudice against criminals especially sex offenders. This comes from the belief that the harsh penalties that are set on them. One researcher by the name of Joseph Kennedy investigated crimes that are considered monstrous such as sex offenders and concluded that the desire to punish offenders such as sex offenders is a direct result of changes in the United States social and economic structure within the last several decades that had eroded social solidarity that had led to hyper-punitiveness in the United States criminal justice policy practices. Sexually Deviance Another belief is held that cultural norms around sexuality, is insensitive to acts and persons that engage in any acts that are not seen as socially appropriate. Thus, making laws that unfairly stigmatize individuals who sexual expressions or sexual acts that are seen as perverted or dangerous. Post- World War II saw a similar response to deviant sexual behavior, this was linked to the changes of gender roles and the anxiety that it created around it. The conclusion was based that deviant sexual behavior was the culprit and an increase of the family and children principal took precedence. Which in turn, concludes that law was used as a tool for a legal …show more content…

In essences, Punctuated equilibrium is a system that studies and applies to particular situations such when political conflict is expanded beyond the confines of expert-dominated policy subsystems to other policymaking venues. In essence, punctuated equilibrium theory only extends current agenda-setting ideas to deal with both policy stasis and decision-making

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