The Worldview on the growth of crime in our communities.
Crime is probably the most common problem that most of us are having and to a certain extent, we speak up about it but it is never really addressed. The works of crime are quite evident and yet we are still urged to report t as if something new or different is implemented. My argument lies fully not saying that it is not being addressed but rather saying that if our laws and orders were consistent, then crime would be less viable. This would be more clearer if we can go back to the core and actually find the definition of crime. Crime is an activity that involves breaking the law, which then means in one word it, is PROHIBITED. I am now moving closer to unfolding these mysteries.
I am a student to stays around the Vaal and I must say that the crime here is outrageous. Don’t get me wrong, crime everywhere is outrageous but this becomes even more scary and creepy when it happens for two to three consecutive weeks in one area. And the irony of it all is that when it happens, one can call the police and they take about an hour to get there and at that point the damage is already done, so can you honestly blame one for thinking that just maybe the police and the criminals might be working hand-in-hand? (Just curious)
There are many factors that might lead someone to indulge in criminal activities. And a lot of times we think that crime is done by mostly those who are poor or unemployed but even those who are wealthy do commit crime too. Criminal activities may be caused by financial problems at home, hanging around the wrong crowd and so on. I have seen this happen to many people I know and grew up with. Right now it has gotten worse because people don’t care anymore, even the ...
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...ay back the debt the people of the nation don’t know about. Smith (2013) South Africa uses politics to hide crime and promote lies. The emphasis on commerce in a country where it seems everything is for sale means that money buys many things. Silence, cooperation, and journalism that reports just what they are told to are all either bought or coerced.
Some may think I’m being subjective, but it is the way most of us around the world view it. And to say it is just logic, no-one just wakes up and decides to be a criminal especially if you know that every action there’s a reaction.
Referencing
Michael Smith (2013) South Africa: Politics Crime Commerce and Lies [WWW] Editorial. Available from: http://guardianlv.com/2013/12/151154/ [Accessed 24/03/2014].
Makhanya M.R. (2000) Crime Research in South Africa. Journal for crime research in South Africa (CRISA), 1 (1).
The contents in this document are a critique of the documentary Taking Root. This Paper takes a systematic and analytical approach to the video and uses class and chapter concepts from CPO 3204 Contemporary African Politics.
Crime is some action/omission that causes harm in a situation that the person/group responsible ‘ought’ to be held accountable and punished irrespective of what the law book of state say.
In The Looting Machine by Tom Burgis, the author discusses corruption and the effects of corruption on Africans living under the resource curse, or Dutch disease. He also talks about a system responsible for the looting of Africa’s natural resources to benefit individuals and companies from Chinese, French, American, Brazilian, British, Israeli, and African elites. Burgis suffered from PTSD, which stemmed from the aftermath of the Jos massacre and other events he experienced in Africa. To cope with his PTSD, Burgis wrote down what he saw during his research, experiencing tremendous guilt in the process. Instead of his initial reasoning that the Jos massacre occurred due to “ethnic rivalries”, he started to see the real reason and how the massacre
Crime in this country is an everyday thing. Some people believe that crime is unnecessary. That people do it out of ignorance and that it really can be prevented. Honestly, since we live in a country where there is poverty, people living in the streets, or with people barely getting by, there will always be crime. Whether the crime is robbing food, money, or even hurting the people you love, your family. You will soon read about how being a criminal starts or even stops, where it begins, with whom it begins with and why crime seems to be the only way out sometimes for the poor.
Winslow, R. W., & Zhang, S. (2008). Contemporary Theories of Crime. Criminology: a global perspective (). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Muncie, J., Talbot, D. and Walters, R. Crime: Local and Global, William Publishing, (Devon). P. 3.
Conscious efforts to critique existing approaches to questions of crime and justice, demystify concepts and issues that are laden with political and ideological baggage, situate debates about crime control within a socio-historical context, and facilitate the imagination and exploration of alternative ways of thinking and acting in relation to crime and justice. (p. 3).
There are many studies that point out some risk factors that could be responsible for criminality, but it would not be appropriate to say that is specifically poverty or the current economy. This field of study is uncertain about affirming this kind of assumption. But all this discussion about Broken Windows Theory leads us to reflect why not try to prevent crime instead of act after the crime has been committed?
Crime exists everywhere. It is exists in our country, in the big cities, the small towns, schools, and even in homes. Crime is defined as “any action that is a violation of law”. These violations may be pending, but in order to at least lower the crime rate, an understanding of why the crimes are committed must first be sought. There are many theories that are able to explain crimes, but three very important ones are rational choice theory, social disorganization theory and strain theory.
One of the biggest issues in America today is crime. It is a large problem that continues to erode our country economically as well as morally. Because of the vastness of the problem, many have speculated what the cause for crime may be in hopes that a solution will be found. Many believe that a bad family life, location of residence, and poverty hold a few of the answers to why an individual becomes involved in criminal activity.
From a sociological perspective, explanation for criminality is found in two levels which are the subculture and the structural explanations. The sociological explanations emphasize aspects of societal arrangements that are external to the actor and compelling. A sociological explanation is concerned with how the structure of a society, institutional practices or its persisting cultural themes affect the conduct of its members. Individual differences are denied or ignored, and the explanation of the overall collective behavior is sought in the patterning of social arrangements that is considered to be both outside the actor and prior to him (Sampson, 1985).
Let’s begin with the basics of crime and how law enforcements officials try to keep it off of our streets here in the homeland. Crime is defined as a wrongful act according to the laws set by societies standards (Osterburg & Ward, 2014) There are two distinctive traits that validate the judicial systems view of crime. The first element is Actus Reus which, is defined as wrongful action. (Osterburg & Ward, 2014) This means that there has to be some type of illegal action for the crime to be committed, and considered a crime. Some one cannot be arrested for just mentally thinking unlawful thoughts. If this was the case, half of the world would be in prison. A crime must also be a voluntary act. If the act is involuntary then the act may not be considered a crime. Mens Rea is defined as “having a wrongful mind.” Mens Rea details the motive when the crime was in the process of being committed. Not all actions are crimes necessarily, the only way that an action enters the realm of crime is if it is prohibited by law and assigned a punishme...
...ulture and beliefs. Another reason one might commit a crime, is when people fail to achieve society’s expectations through legal means such as hard work and delayed gratification, they may attempt to achieve success through crime. People also develop motivation and the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with. Some criminals commit crimes because of the controls that society places on a person through institutions such as schools, workplaces, churches, and families. Sometimes there are occasions where a persons actions goes against what society considers normal, and as a result it is instead considered a crime. Also some criminals continue their criminal acts because they have been shunned by their society because once a person is labeled a criminal, society takes away their opportunities, which in most cases leads to more criminal behavior.
In today’s society, one will find that there are many different factors that go into the development of a criminal mind, and it is impossible to single out one particular cause of criminal behavior. Criminal behavior often stems from both biological and environmental factors. In many cases criminals share similar physical traits which the general population do not usually have. For example criminals have smaller brains than properly adjusted individuals. However biological reasons cannot solely be the cause of criminal behavior. Therefore, one must look to other sources as to how a criminal mind is developed. Social and environmental factors also are at fault for developing a person to the point at which they are lead to committing a criminal act. Often, someone who has committed a violent crime shows evidence of a poorly developed childhood, or the unsuitable current conditions in which the subject lives. In addition if one studies victimology which is the role that the victim plays in the crime, it is apparent that there are many different causes for criminal behavior. Through the examination of biological factors, in addition to the social and environmental factors which make up a criminal mind, one can conclude that a criminal often is born with traits common to those of criminals, it is the environment that exist around them that brings out the criminal within them to commit indecent acts of crime.
Crime is seen to just exist however, that is not the case. It is argued that crime is created through society and that crime is both a social fact and a social construction. We are told daily about the problems in which we are facing from crime by politicians through the media. From this it is argued that crime is in fact a social fact and a social construction. Throughout this essay it looks at what exactly is a social construction and a social fact and if crime is in fact both a social construction and a social fact, it will also look at one of the main theories which will help draw a conclusion to if crime Is both a social fact and a social construction.