Annotated Bibliography

Adolescent-limited offenders make up the majority of criminals but commit less crime and usually quit criminal behavior as they mature into adulthood. Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory is more

In chapter 10 of “Introduction to Social Problems” Thomas J. Sullivan explains Crime and delinquency by types of crime that are considered as social problems, social characteristics, and ways to help alleviate the problem of crime. The social problem that is happening in crime and delinquency are that young people are being sent to prison for the crimes they are committing, and they are not being educated, helping them make better decisions, or create a better future for themselves instead of going in and out of prison. In the definition social problem it says, “the condition can be remedied by collective action”(3). Teenagers are deviating from group values and norms. They first start rebelling against their parents rules and deciding to do what they want.

It focuses on 20 dynamic variables in addition to 6 static variables. These variables are derived from the Psychology of Criminal Conduct (PCC). Some of the static variables are the number of young offender convictions, the age at which the offender was during their first violent conviction and the number and characteristics of violence exhibited during the offender’s lifespan (Wong & Gordon, n.d.). Some of the dynamic (changeable) variables are the inter-personal aggression, offender’s violence cycle, offender’s criminal attitude and their impulsivity. By basing assessment on such a categorized and detailed scope of variable, criminal assessment psychologists are able to narrow down to the very core problems and ideals that form the basis of crime among many offenders.

Agnew argues that the current adolescent generational cohort, in general, is ill-prepared to cope with the social, behaviour and academic demands that typically accompany such privileges” (Taylor, M., Marais, I. & Cottman, R., 2012, p.153). This example shows a clear link to Merton’s area of innovation as “individuals may subscribe to the culturally defined goals, but they do not have the institutionalised means of achieving them. This results in ‘innovative’ means to achieve their goals, and some of which include criminal activity” (White & Perrone, 2010, p.77). Adolescents therefore are prone to committing property offences, such as theft and burglary, because they are highly likely to commit to attain achievement of a goal that otherwise would be

Moreover, people at the low end of social status, poor, are more likely to get arrested for the crimes. However, we all know or sometimes believe that crime is not always evenly spread throughout the social classes. Poor people are more likely to commit crimes, and blacks are more likely to commit crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, and other index crimes (Kornblum ,5.4). Sometimes in society, we see that rich people get a slap on the wrist when they commit a crime; whereas poor people get the whole book at their neck it

However, there are a number of potential linkages between crime and education” (Behrman and Stacey

“There were three men who hurt me on the first night. They touched me and made me do things…. They came back the next night and hurt me a lot…. There were so many last night. I don’t know how many there were, but they hurt me . . . .”

Socioeconomic, psychological, biological and behavioral factors are included in many different causes and correlates of crime. Many theories provide a multiple cause of how people become criminal. Differential A. theory says through the relations with others, gang is for example, individuals study the values, attitudes, techniques and motives for criminal behavior. According to train theory, social structures in the societies encourage citizens to commit crime “Higher total socioeconomic status (usually measured using the three variables income (or wealth), occupational level, and years of education) correlate with less crime. ”(Psychology wiki Correlates of crime,) Labeling theory embraces the idea that the elite’s negatively labeling minorities

Daniel Drew, an American businessman, once attested, “[that the] Law is like a cobweb; it’s made for the flies and the smaller kinds of insects, so to speak, but lets the big bumblebees break through” (Sutherland 8). Edwin Sutherland, an American sociologist, published an article in the American Sociological Review in 1940 that challenged how society viewed the topic of crime and approached it from a sociologic perspective. His main argument stated that people learn their deviant and criminal behavior from a primary group of people¬¬ such as family, coworkers and people whom they associate with most. Sutherland also argues that crime does not have a direct link with poverty; people in higher associated classes have the same chance of becoming

As far as crime is concerned, it is defined by the law. Deviance is unexpected behaviour, but not exactly considered criminal. Many consider crime as a social problem – a problem as defined by society, such as homelessness, drug abuse, etc. Others would say crime is a sociological problem – something defined as a problem by sociologists and should be dealt with accordingly by sociologists. This essay attempts to discover the boundaries between these two and ultimately come to an appropriate conclusion.

I chose to discuss: CJ 102: CRIMINOLOGY I- This course presents a framework for studying the nature and causes of crime and antisocial behavior. It focuses on explanations provided through criminal typologies and criminological theories, using a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives. Topics range from crime causation to the extent of crime, victimization, social and psychological theories, and various types of criminality including violent, property, and public order offenses. Quarter Credit Hours: 5 | Prerequisite: CJ 101 Course Outcomes: 1.

Poverty’s effects on crime can be explained through a variety of reasons. There is a higher rate of mental illness among the poor than the rich. Poverty can lead to high levels of stress, which in turn drive individuals to commit theft, robbery or other violent acts. Moreover, poverty may lead to actual or perceived inferior education. Youth with less access to quality schools, jobs, and role models and opportunities end up spending time on the streets associating with gangs.

Introduction and Rationale Teens who do not take part in afterschool programs are just about three times more likely to skip classes than teens who do participate in afterschool programs. They are also three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and are more likely to drink, smoke and engage in sexual activity. (YMCA of the USA, 2001) After-school programs assist in the process of shutting down the “Prime Time for Juvenile Crime.” When the school bell rings, turning millions of children and teens out onto the streets, violence and juvenile crime suddenly soars. In California, 2 pm to 6 pm are the peak hours on school days for such crime and the peak hours for kids to become victims of violence.

This explanation is mainly focused on the individual, which ignores the larger social and environmental influences that affect a person’s behavior. Shaw and Mckay (1969) provide an environmental explanation for criminality. They argue that daily experiences shape behavior. Areas that have high poverty rates and high levels of social change will contain a value system that is supportive of crime. Though adults may try to impress upon their children a non-criminal value system, they compete against a number of organizations that support the criminal value

It is likely that because this factor seems to be self-evident in nature, that it has received very little attention in the literature. Upon review of the statistics however, it is clear that parent criminality plays a significant role in the development of juvenile delinquency. Going back to the aspect of learned behavior, it is not at all difficult to see the connection. Witnessing parental violence and criminality forces the child into a situation where he or she normalizes the behavior and applies it to their everyday interaction in the environment. Wright & Wright (1993), in their analysis of the literature found that children who engaged in delinquency were most likely to have criminal mothers or father.