The focus of this paper is on the criminal activities of Individual C, who will be referred to as Mr. C. Mr. C, a 29-year-old Caucasian male, faces multiple charges including one count of felonious assault, one count of crack cocaine possession, one count of methamphetamine possession, and one count of breaking and entering. These charges are not isolated incidents but are instead interconnected, all stemming from a single night when Mr. C broke into his neighbor's home out of desperation for money. In this paper, I will delve into the circumstances surrounding Mr. C's actions, highlighting how each charge he faces can be directly linked to one of the theories we've studied in class. I will explore how a single event in his past could have …show more content…
Population heterogeneity theory posits that individuals have inherent differences in traits, behaviors, and capabilities that influence their likelihood of engaging in criminal activities. Mr. C's traits such as low self-control, sensation-seeking behavior, and a tendency to deflect responsibility align with this theory. His acknowledgment that he may need external help, such as a girlfriend, to curb his destructive tendencies underscores the idea that certain individuals may require external factors or interventions to mitigate their propensity for criminal behavior. Furthermore, Mr. C's trajectory from a young age, characterized by these underlying traits, to his current situation where he acknowledges the need for external support, illustrates how population heterogeneity can contribute to the acceleration of problems in individuals predisposed to certain behaviors. Mr. C's current situation offers a glimmer of hope. Instead of spiraling further into drug use and criminal behavior, he stands at a crossroads where real consequences confront him for the first time. This reality check presents an opportunity for him to make a complete turnaround if he seizes …show more content…
Wrapping up, Mr. C's story shows us just how tangled things can get when we mix individual quirks, outside influences, and the fallout from bad choices. Digging into his experiences, we used a bunch of theories that helped explain why he did what he did. His early run-ins with ADHD and being defiant laid down the groundwork for a wild ride filled with rebellious acts, impulsiveness, and a "What rules?" attitude. The snare of the snare. Growing up in a community where consequences were kinda fuzzy didn't help either. The only message that got sent to him was that he could get away with anything. The theories like Social Learning and Biosocial hit the nail on the head when it came to his drug use and breaking the law. Hanging out with folks who were into the same stuff and getting a thumbs-up for it made it all seem okay. Plus, the instant kick he got from it didn't hurt either. And let's not forget his knack for brushing off blame and not thinking too much about the aftermath, clearly showing a lack of self control and accountability. Now, Mr. C has reached a fork in the road where he's got to really think about what he
As a social process theory, drift and Neutralization sees a crime to be a part of wider social interactions. It views social order as non objective and non consensual and posits that there is not a single fundamental social goal that is held by all social groups; rather there are many different overlapping social values within a society, both conventional and delinquent: legitimate and illegitimate. Drift and Neutralization Theory posits that individuals learn values and delinquent behaviours through their exposure to sub-cultural values. “Deviant or delinquent (or criminal) subcultures do not reject ‘dominant’ values and beliefs. Instead, there is tension between inclinations to adhere to mainstream values and beliefs.” This sees that criminals can drift between deviant and conventional behaviours and how to use various techniques of neutralisation to rationalise their criminal activity. In analysing McVeigh’s motives, his learned sub cultural values can be examined to demonstrate how he was able to rationalise his violations of the law and how he came to drift from non delinquent to delinquent actions. The techniques of neutralisation; denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of
The Cocaine Kids: The Inside Story of a Teenage Drug Ring is an intriguing narrative of the experiences Terry Williams witnessed first hand while observing the lives of “The Kids” and their involvement in the cocaine trade. Throughout this piece, there are numerous behaviors displayed by the drug dealers that are each examples of and can be attributed to well-defined criminological theories. This paper will explore how such criminological theories are associated with how and why individuals are introduced into the world of drug selling, as well as, why they leave it. I will elaborate on this by revealing the motivations and conditions that seem to pressurize these individuals to be drug dealers. Although there are multiples shown, the specific theories I will explore are all based on the same idea that an individual becomes a criminal by learning how to be one through experiences, examples, role models, etc. Such theories include the theory of Differential Association, Subculture of Violence Theory, and the Social Learning Theory.
Paternoster, R., & Bachman, R., (2001). Explaining criminals and crime. Essays in contemporary criminological theory. New York City, N.Y.: Oxford University
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.
...azerolle &ump; Piquero, 1998; Piquero &ump; Sealock, 2000) as well as non-offending populations, including youths (Agnew and White, 1992; Aseltine et al., 2000; Brezina, 1996; Paternoster and Mazerolle, 1994), college students and adults (Mazerolle and Piquero, 1998; Broidy, 2001). The theory has also been examined across gender (Ganem, 2010; Broidy and Agnew, 1997; Eitle, 2002; Hoffman and Su, 1997; Mazerolle, 1998; Hay, 2003; Piquero and Sealock, 2004) and race (Jang and Johnson, 2003), and for property crimes, and other deviant behaviors.
Winslow, R. W., & Zhang, S. (2008). Contemporary Theories of Crime. Criminology: a global perspective (). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
There are many theories that can be applied to different cases that have occurs in Americas history. The two theories that are choses for this paper are the trait theory and under the trait theory is psychological which is “abnormal personality and psychological traits are the key to determinant of anti-social behavior. There is a link between mental illness, personality disorders and crime (Siegel, 2014). The second theory is the Choice theory which “criminals weigh the cost and benefits and make a conscious, rational choice to commit crime” (Siegel, 2014). This paper will show how a theory can be applied to a person and a crime. Some of the cases that are being presented some will not agree but up us all about the person perspective.
Winfree, T., & Abadinsky, H. (2nd Ed.). (2003). Understanding Crime: Theory and Practice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth publishers.
In order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the criminal behavior theories, the word theory needs to be defined. “A theory is an explanation. It tells why or how things are related to each other. A theory of crime explains why or how a certain thing or certain things are related to criminal behavior.” (Bohn and Vogel)
In their study, "Continuity of Offending in Young Adulthood: A Test of Moffitt's Snares Hypothesis," Alex O. Widdowson, J. W. Andrew Ranson, and Anna M. Kyser investigate the enduring impact of childhood criminal exposure (snares) on individuals. The essay probes the relationship between Moffitt's Snare Hypothesis, socioeconomic status, and minority representation in the criminal justice system. The study's findings reveal a strong association between exposure to snares and the development of criminal deviance in adulthood. Additionally, it examines the correlation between minority demographics and rates of criminal deviance. Notably, the research indicates that exposing individuals to pattern-breaking behaviors reduces the likelihood of deviant
Sampson, R. J., & Laub, J. H. (2005). A life-course view of the development of crime. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science,602(1), 12-45.
In conclusion it is shown through examinations of a average criminals biological makeup is often antagonized by a unsuitable environment can lead a person to crime. Often a criminal posses biological traits that are fertile soil for criminal behavior. Some peoples bodies react irrationally to a abnormal diet, and some people are born with criminal traits. But this alone does not explain their motivation for criminal behavior. It is the environment in which these people live in that release the potential form criminal behavior and make it a reality. There are many environmental factors that lead to a person committing a crime ranging from haw they were raised, what kind of role models they followed, to having a suitable victims almost asking to be victimized. The best way to solve criminal behavior is to find the source of the problem but this is a very complex issue and the cause of a act of crime cannot be put on one source.
They also explore the myths about the connection between genetic factors and criminal behavior. The first myth they looked at was “Identifying the Role of Genetics in Criminal Behavior Implies That There Is a “Crime Gene.”” This myth is dismissed because of the unlikelihood that that a single gene is responsible for criminal behavior. The second myth they look at is “Attributing Crime to Genetic Factors is Deterministic.” This myth is also easily dismissed because of the fact that just because someone has a predisposition to a certain behavior doesn’t mean that the person will take on that behavior.
MacDonald, H. (2010, January 4). A crime theory demolished. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870359090504574638024055735590.ht
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].