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CNN presents the documentary, Homicide in Hollenbeck, spotlighting gang activity in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hollenbeck. This documentary explores the subculture of gangs existing within Hollenbeck from a several perspectives. The people documented include a mother who lost both of her sons to gang violence, a priest that has tried to help rehabilitate gang members, a police officer that has worked in Hollenbeck for five years in the gang unit, and a current gang member. For a conclusion, Homicide in Hollenbeck focuses on a juvenile exposed to gang life on the cusp of decided where they want their life to lead; gangs or freedom. Problems attributed to the high rate of gang activity and number of gangs in Hollenbeck are the high poverty rate, low employment rate, and broken families that make up the majority of Hollenbeck. The crime most discussed, as per the title of the documentary, is homicide The number of gang related homicides has risen even though the criminal behavior of gangs has ultimately decreased in the neighborhood. In order to fight the overwhelming gang presence, the police believe in increasing the amount of gun power on the streets and number of jailed gang members. The priest who runs Homeboy Industries stated that he feels most gang members are just young men who can’t get out of the gang life. With more funds and opportunities, he thinks the problem could be decreased. In the end, the documentary mentions that the FBI has formed a gang center where local law enforcement agencies can share information to gain more knowledge and to better fight the presence of gangs. Predominantly, strain theory can be used to explain the criminal behavior of the Homicide in Hollenbeck documentary. In the course on juveni... ... middle of paper ... ...pported by evidence and interviews.The use of various perspectives was more affective and made the viewer truly understand the effect gangs have on the neighborhood and the people of the neighborhood. I think the documentary should have included a roundtable discussion amongst those interviewed. It would have been more powerful to see the current gang member, priest, and police officer debate the better methods for handling the gang activity in the area. It would have showcased a greater learning aspect and potential for a possible brighter future for Hollenbeck. Homicide in Hollenbeck is a useful tool to explain the broad aspects of gang activity. While, it does not delve too deep into the causes or solution, it does adequately represent the happenings in neighborhoods all over the country akin to Hollenbeck and the toll it has on the people of those communities.
The CNN Documentary “Homicide in Hollenbeck” described several criminal issues that have affected the Hollenbeck community. The documentary focused on the life of a gang member and recruitment of juveniles within the community. Criminological issues discussed in the documentary includes gang and gun violence, drug sales, homicide and vandalism. Interviews were conducted of personal experiences and opinions on neighborhood issues with members of a notorious gang known as White-Fence gang, police officers and family members who lost their loved ones in the hands of gang violence.
There are many criminological theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior or crime patterns. For instance, Agnew’s General Strain Theory can be applied to explain why the criminal John Dillinger committed various crimes. Agnew’s General Strain Theory assumes that all individuals experience strain, which, in turn, causes negative emotions that can result in legitimate or illegitimate coping, depending on an individual’s constraints or dispositions. Thus, the continuous criminal behavior throughout John Dillinger’s life can be explained using Agnew’s General Strain Theory in relation to strain, negative emotions, and dispositions.
The proposal of Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory in explaining criminal deviance is based on three concepts. The first concept is that people are not naturally inclined to commit crimes. Rather, their transition towards deviant behavior begins when they experience strain. The second concept is that once strain is present, depending on the severity of the stain, a person becomes victim to their own negative emotions like anger, jealousy, and frustration. Their response to those negative emotions may expedite their transition. The third concept looks at a person’s ability to cope with the strain and negative emotions. If a person has poor coping abilities they tend to become overwhelmed by the strain and the negative emotions they are feeling as a result of strain. Poor coping abilities may cause someone to commit crime in hopes of rectifying their situation. (Agnew, 2011)
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.
Criminology is a study, which is constantly changing due to the fact that it is based on the political, economic and spiritual concerns of our society. Many theories come to light and then fade away as the societal climate changes. Agnew’s General Strain theory is one the many theories that have been pushed aside; however, it has been remodeled by recent developments in criminology. The general strain theory has defined three major types of strain that may link to the causation of crime. In light of the fact that there are several factors that can motivate a person to commit crime, opportunity is key in the midst of all. Crime Opportunity is another important theory to consider since it exhausts various perspectives in order to determine what provokes people to engage in crime. This meaning, it is impossible for anyone to engage in criminal activity when the odds are unfavorable and there are high risks. While both theories share similarities, Robert Agnew’s general strain theory appears to focus more on the reason behind criminal activity while crime opportunity theory emphasizes on situations of crime.
In the, very quickly expanding, city of Woodbridge, Virginia, there is a resurging issue of gang activity. The predominant gang found in Woodbridge is known as MS-13, whose activist’s extend through several towns and city’s including portions of Washington DC. This gang was thought to be “decimated” (Jouvenal, Zapotosky, 2014), in the last few years, through prosecutions against both high and low ranking members, leaving the gang scattered and unorganized. However, since then, they have quietly reconstituted and are beginning to resurface, appearing stranger and more violent than ever (Jouvenal, Zapotosky, 2014).
General Strain Theory means that people who experience strain or stress become distressed or upset which may lead them to commit a crime in order to cope. The key element in the general strain theory is an emotion which could motivate a person to commit a crime. One example that could prove this theory as a true factor about how someone’s emotion could affect the outcome of committing a crime, is by losing their source of income. If a person once had a great job where they were able to earn a lot of money but later was let go due to job cuts, that person stress of losing that high-end income could push them over the edge and they do the unthinkable such as shooting the boss who let them go. The three main sources of General Strain Theory are
Gang violence is a very serious downfall living in Chicago. In two articles written by Mark Guarino, “Behind Chicago’s High-Crime Summer: Persistent Street Gang Violence” and “In Chicago, Can Community Involvement Combat Gang Violence” he adds how Chicagoans are severely alarmed by the series of murders there are due to gang violence, including the death of an innocent eight year old girl who was caught between a heated gang war while playing outside (Behind Chicago 1), while adding how a gunmen approached a car and started shooting and killed a 20 ...
Tobin, Kimberly. Gangs: An Individual and Group Perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.
First issue that I would like to address is a Gang-related issue. Gang has been an ongoing problem in the U.S since the early 1920’s. The characteristics of the modern gang today are nothing like the pasts and it is very important for our criminal justice system to know the differences and characteristics of the gangs. According to (Bartollas & Miller, 2011), Jeffrey Fagan has identified four major types and characteristics of modern gangs; “Type 1 gangs were involved in a few delinquent activities and only alcohol and marijuana use. These gangs had low involvement in drug sales and appeared to be social gangs. Type 2 gangs were heavily involved in several kinds of drug sales, primarily to support their own drug habits. They were also heavily involved in vandalism. Type 3 gangs had the highest levels of member participation, including extensive involvement in both serious and non-serious offenses. Another feature of this type was less involvement in both dr...
Gang violence has for a long time been a major issue. Now it may not be as bad as it was back in the 90’s when it really first surfaced, but gang violence is still a critical issue. A place where gang violence has really been an issue is none other than the state of California. Now, from 1988 to 1998, California was considered the “Decade of Death” as over 1000 people would die in Los Angeles per year. And that’s just Los Angeles.
Agnew, R. (2001). Building on the foundation of general strain theory: Specifying thetypes of strain most likely to lead to crime and delinquency.Journal of Researchin Crime and Delinquency,38, 319-361.
On a local scene, the Corpus Christi Police Department has a gang prevention program. This program has a presentation in which members of the police...
To gain an accurate understanding of strain theories it is best to first examine their intellectual foundations. One of the most important influences on the development of strain theories was sociologist Emile Durkheim. A structural functionalist, Durkheim argued that deviance and crime were not only normal, but also served a function in society. Durkheim believed that crime served the purpose of displaying to members of society what behaviours and actions are considered unacceptable as determined by societal co...
Hallswort, S. And Young, T. (2004) Getting Real About Gang. Criminal Justice Matters [online]. 55. (1), pp 12-13 [Accessed 10 December 2013]