Social Process Theory Of Crime

These theories support the main assumptions that crime is a choice and will not occur if the opportunity is absent and rewards are diminished. Routine activity theory. The routine activity theory takes for granted that there are many motivated offenders. Crime rate variance thus depends on the supply of suitable targets and available guardians (Cohen & Felson, 1979). This theory supports the situational crime prevention theory that crime is a choice and can be deterred through the removal of suitable targets or guardianship.

Another theory related to criminal activity would be the social control theory. This theory explains that people can see the advantages of crimes and are capable of doing crimes but does not do the crimes for fear of the consequences

Strain theory however takes a completely different approach and examines the social strain as humanities punishment. Work within the structure society has product or become members of a deviant subculture to achieve the same goals, just through alternative means. Strain theory was designed to explain why U.S.A had a large influx in gangs. Therefore, examples of crimes under strain would be selling or associating with illegal substances or becoming involved in illegal activities such as theft. Strain theory clearly explains that “people turn to deviance in the pursuit of widely accepted widely accepted social values and goals”, Robert K. Merton.

Name: Title: Institution: Labeling Theory This research puts into consideration the labelling theory as an illustrative model for the hypothesis of criminal law-disregarding conduct. The study presumes that for that infringement of the criminal law that have customarily involved the community and the crime victims. There are various research journal articles backing the labelling theory based on the analytical details that have been labeled and comparative of the fundamentals of the theory. Labelling hypothesis concentrates on the authority response to crime and makes a nonsensical contention in regards to the reasons for committing a crime. The theory connects deviance to the response of the individuals.

A sub theory for social process theory is the social learning theory, created by Ronald Akers, that focuses on punishment and reinforcement and how that leads to criminal behavior. With these two sub theories, there are similarities such as what they are used to explain which is why individuals commit crime, but there are differences as well such as the methods they use to explain. General Strain Theory [Theory A] The General Strain

We then examine Edward Sutherland’s theory to begin to understand that, what we have learned from behaviors are taught. The differential association theory has become the most talked about learning theory of deviance. The theory focuses on how individuals can learn to become criminals. The theory does not have concern for why individuals become criminals. Criminology is the knowledge regarding crime and delinquency as a social issue.

Just deserts claims that it is the offender’s choice to commit a crime, using the classical theory founded by Cesare Beccaria that states, “It asserts that a person is a rational individual with the free will to make a moral choice whether or not to engage in conduct known to be prohibited” (Starkweather, 1991, p.855). The offender made his choice and therefore must be punished for his act of crime. However, just deserts fails to acknowledge that factors in a child’s upbringing can affect their life choices as an adolescence and adult. As noted by Alley, Minnis, Thompson, Wilson and Gillberg (2014), adults who were “psychically, sexually, and emotionally abused as children were three times more likely than were non-abused adults to act violently as adults” (p.290). Consequently, giving punitive sentences and failing to help them psychologically will not help offenders when they are released back into the community.

There are three components that make up the criminal justice system – the police, courts, and correctional facilities – they all work together in order to protect individuals and their rights as a citizen of society to live without the fear of becoming the victim of a crime. Crime, simply put is when a person violates criminal law; the criminal justice system is society’s way of implementing social control. When all three components of the criminal justice work together, it functions almost perfectly. For a person to enter the criminal justice system, the process must begin with the law enforcement. Therefore, for the police to be involved, there must be a crime that has been committed or a violation of law that has been put in place by

Deterrence philosophy reason for sentencing is defined as a philosophy that crime can be prevented through the threat of punishment. Incapacitation philosophy is defined as a philosophy that crime can be prevented by detaining wrongdoers in prison thereby separating them from the community and reducing criminal opportunities. Finally rehabilitation philosophy is defined as the philosophy that society is best served when offenders are provided the resources to get rid of criminal activity from their daily behavior patterns. Retribution just holds the severity of the crime against the guilty and is aimed at pleasing the society as whole party rather than just the victim/s. Deterrence uses other criminals as examples for the community to be discouraged from crime.

One of these people were Robert Agnew who thought that strain theory could be very important in explaining crime and deviance that happens but that it needed to be in a different context so that it was not tied to social class or cultural variables, but have it focus more on norms according to society. “In sum, we would expect certain strains to affect crime in all or most societies, while the effect of other strains may differ across societies. A general strain theory that explains differences in criminal offending will systematically list all of those strains that function as “extreme stressors,” as well as those societal factors that affect the magnitude of given strains, the interpretation of such strains (e.g., their perceived magnitude and injustice), and the likelihood of criminal coping”(Sigfusdottir & Kristjansson , 2012).The general strain theory have 3 categories of strains according to Agnew which are the inability to achieve positively valued goals ,the removal or the threat to remove positively valued stimuli and to present a threat to one with noxious or negatively valued stimuli.The inability to achieve positively valued goals are difference between the expectation influenced by factors such as social class