...basically read and learn more about the high crime rate in America, and what excuses we make for these high crime rates. We can see that the crime rates have fluctuated over time since the 1900’s, but even at some of the times of the lowest crime rates in America, it was still higher that even the higher crime rates in most other Western industrial societies. When making comparisons with the US and European countries, we learn that there is a much higher rate of lethal violence, such as suicide in the US. Even though the rates of violent crime in America has declined over recent years, author’s believe that this has more to do with changes in America’s economic status rather than law’s and government policies. Some of the changes in the crime rates could have to do with the “imprisonment binge”, but the number of incarcerated criminals does not reduce the number of criminals we have in America, it just reduces the number of criminals we have roaming free in America. We know that crime is not completely avoidable, and the government has been making changes to help reduce the risks and the likeliness of lethal and dangerous crimes happening. Some of the precautions that have been made include: effective gun control, decriminalization if illicit drugs, amelioration of poverty, the prevention of child abuse or neglect, and they also are taking precautions for at-risk adolescents. In America, there are many “excuses” for the high crime rates that we have. Some of the excuses that we...
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...Crime Trends Crime trends have changed drastically throughout the years. Criminal activity has always been a challenging task to evaluate and monitor. What is a crime trend? A crime trend is defined as a significant change in the nature of selected crime types within a defined geographical area and time period (U.S. Legal, 2001). Crime trends tend to increase and decrease for different reason throughout the years. The essay will discuss the crime trend in America and the reason for a decline in 1999. In 1999 there were several reasons that could be the cause for a decrease in crime trends. Unemployment rates were low in 1999, in fact at the time rates had not been seen as low since 1969. There was also an increase in new jobs; under President Clinton administration the economy added 245,000 jobs per month. When President Clinton took office in 1992 the unemployment rate was at 7.5%, by 1999 the rate had dropped to 4.0%. Employment showed a promising reason for a decrease in crime (The Clinton-Gore Economic Record, 2000). Throughout the years researchers have been noticing when the economy is good it seem to reduce the amount of crime that happens. In the article Crime and Unemployment, the author refers to a study conducted in the United States that showed unemployment as a reason behind higher homicide rates and suicides; the study was conducted from 1940-1984. The study included five socio economic variables unemployment rates, gross national product...
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...Crime in Caracas Individuals are not only shaped by social factors, but through cultural and environmental factors as well. Societies are constantly changing, and there are many issues and trends that are confronting the global society today. Through sociological perspectives and concepts, one can better understand what is causing these world issues. By studying these perspectives and concepts, students can see how the physical environment and society affect the life choices of individuals. There are a number of countries located in Latin America. Among these countries, there are a number of sociological issues facing the population of Venezuela. The issue that is most important is the violent crime rate of its capital city. The violent crime rate is said to be one of the top five causes of death in Latin America. Homicides, kidnapping, and burglary are among the main types of crime in these countries (Beato). With a population well over twenty-four million, it is no wonder that violent crime is an issue in Venezuela. The country has one of the highest per-capita murder rates in the world; Caracas, which is the capital of Venezuela, has just recently been named the world’s most dangerous city (Spengler). Armed robberies take place in broad daylight throughout this city, including areas frequented by tourists and generally presumed safe. A common technique of a criminal is to choke the victim into unconsciousness and then rob them of all their belongings. Well armed...
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...Introduction In recent years, the frequency of criminal and violent performance has become a major concern in the world. At the global level, there was a slightly decrease trend on violent crime. At the regional level, violent crime has increased in the Americas, while declining in Asia and Europe (UNODC; 2014). From 2000 to 2012, the violent crime rate of America had decreased approximately 23%. (FBI 2013). Texas was the second most amount of population and the second largest area in America. ( cba 2010). According to the Texas crime analysis report (2013) showed that crime rates of Texas was 3653.7 crimes per 100000 texans. Compared with previous year, the crime rate was decreasing 3%. Currently, the crime is composed by violent crimes and property crimes. Between those two elements, the violent crimes is acknowledged more serious than property crime. (TCAR, 2013). Texas …………………………option. Another option ………………………………. This report will compare the feasibility of both xxxx and xxxxx methods, in terms of cost implications, social acceptance and effectiveness, and will recommend which option is the most viable for Texas. 2.0 Background Texas placed in the south central part of the country and occupied a territory of 268,820 square mile. As well as texas was the second largest state in America.(uscb 2012). According to the United States census (2010) showed that the increasing population of approximately 26. 9 million citizens, and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita...
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...Running head: FIREARMS IN AMERICA Firearms in America Joyce W. Davis Oklahoma Wesleyan University Abstract The prevalence of guns in the United States and the frequency with which they are commit crimes has made gun control a much discussed and contentious issue. There are an estimated 200 to 250 million firearms in America, and of these, about a third are handguns. According to health researcher, Etienne Krug the homicide rate in the United States is six times higher than that of other developed nations. Though it varies from year to year, according to the FBI, in general guns are in about 70 percent of homicides. In 2000, for example, 52 percent of homicides were committed with handguns, and 19 percent were committed with other guns. The simple fact is that murder and other crimes committed with firearms occur more frequently, where gun control laws are least stringent. Firearms in America There is probably never a time in America history when guns were less popular in the culture. People fed up. Half the households in America are armed. Thirty-eight thousand Americas die from gunshots every year. A recent survey Yankelovich Partners found that 70 percent of Americans favor stricter gun-control laws. Yet, even in the face of lifelong anti-handgun convictions, more women than ever seem to be taking up guns. The Gainesville murder, the Los Angeles riots, the Florida Tourist killings, the California kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas—every time...
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...system in America has been a constant issue of mass-incarceration, a lack of rehabilitation, and a rate of reentry that far exceeds that of any other nation, yet this problem’s escalation has done little to bring it to the platform of reformation. The prison system has cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, and a majority of these citizens are completely unaware of the needlessness of the costs with which they are burdened. With 2.2 million people incarcerated in the U.S., Americans cannot afford to continue to turn a blind eye to the economic issues presented by the current prison system (Council of Economic Advisors 3). Due to prison growth, an increasing incarceration rate, and a lack of rehabilitation and...
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...Global Crime “A more complicated problem in comparing crime rates across nations is that of nonstandardized definitions of crime.” (Dammer, 2010) Each country rates their crime a certain and different way. According to the Table 2.3 on page 27 in the book the three highest homicide rate countries are Venezuela, El Salvador and Jamaica. The three lowest homicide rates are Hong Kung, Japan, and Singapore. Venezuela, El Salvador, and Jamaica have similar economic, social, educational and government that contribute to their high homicide rates. All three countries have high poverty, organized crime, slow economic growth, overcrowded prisons, and poor police. People in these countries usually do not continue their education due to the lack of money. Due to prisons being overcrowded people usually get away with their crimes. “Critics often say the reasons are plain to see but are not tackled. They include poorly paid and often corrupt police (responsible, even by official admission, for 1 in 5 crimes);a corrupt inefficient and politicized judiciary; possibly the most violent and overcrowded prison system in Latin America; and over worked prosecutors, who are often enlisted to persecute the political opposition instead of putting criminals behind bars. (P.G., 2010) Organized crime such as illegal weapons, class warfare, and drugs also contribute to citizens feeling unsafe. “Most Central American Governments are ill-equipped to tackle the mayhem. (Organised crime in Central...
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...By this reaction paper I would like to continue our discussion after the presentation of the second chapter of « Crime and American Dream » with Tami Miller, using the reading of the « Crime and American Dream », the first two Chapters. After the reading of the two lasts weeks, of corse between all the reader books, I was mostly influencer by Messner and Rosenfels « Crime and American Dream », not because the authors approach the very popular in US but also worldwide task of the American Dream, which can lead people to achieve their most highly estimated and expected goals but because, I do believe that authors’ statistical data seems to be more real and estimations more correct. Despite of the reading of a new topics, I still have the same question regarding: What is crime and how we can estimate if an act is a...
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...this speech is to persuade my audience that gun ownership can have a positive effect on the crime rate in the United States, and that protection of one’s self, family, and property is an inherent right. | | Who is your Audience? | My ideal audience for this speech would be those of voting age who identify themselves as “swing” voters, who can take to the polls to ensure that proper legislature will always be in place to ensure the basic rights of protection. This topic will also be beneficial to any groups or individuals who wish to inform themselves on the benefits of gun ownership in America. | | Why is your topic significant to your Audience? | This topic is significant to this audience because currently in America the belief is that crimes involving guns are on the rise and that there should be Legislation set in place that would severely hinder or remove the basic right of owning guns as set forth in the Constitution. That such legislation would have detrimental effects on rights and would cause current crime rates to rise. | | I. Introduction a. Attention Getter: America’s fascination and deep rooted devotion to the right to bear arms has not changed throughout its history in fact in recent years it has multiplied. Concealed carry permit holders are among the safest and most law abiding citizens in the nation committing misdemeanor and felonies at on sixth the rate of even police officers. (Washington Post, 2014). b. Thesis statement: Research...
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...fewer privileges hunting. Stricter gun laws may be a good idea but only if we had a low rate of crime and criminals wouldn’t be able to get their hands on any firearms (Pratt Web). If criminals were not so smart and there was no way criminal could be able to get a gun then the stricter gun laws would and could possibly work. Connecticut...
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... I chose the article “The Most Dangerous States in America” By Alexander Kent and Thomas C. Frohlich. This article was an interessting read of the statistics concerning violent crime in america. It takes into account income and educations as being major factors that contribute to the rate of crime that we experience here in the United States. While this relation is not 100%, it still is very useful in understanding how and why crime is more prevalent in certain areas of the country than in others. To better understand this article it’s important to understand what crime really is. Crime is defined as an action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that illegally prohibited. There is a long list of different categories of crimes. Crimes can generally be divided up into 4 categories: Personal crimes, Property crimes, Inchoate crimes and statutory crimes. Personal crimes are “Offenses against the Person”: These are crimes result in physical or mental harm to another person. Personal crimes include: Assault , Battery, False Imprisonment, Kidnapping, Homicide – crimes such as first and second degree, murder, and involuntary manslaughter, and vehicular homicide, Rape, statutory rape, sexual assault and other offenses of a sexual nature. Property Crimes – “Offenses against Property”: These are crimes that do not necessarily involve harm to another person. Instead, they ...
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...alcohol consumption age will reduce the rate of underage drinking charges: INTRODUCTION I. The Attention Step A. 10.4 million kids reported drinking last year so obviously this law is not working. The average teen begins drinking at 14, seven years before they can legally drink. 1. I’m sure at least a few of you have taken some of your parents alcohol without them knowing about it or have participated in underage drinking at some point in your life up to now and if not you might in college. 2. If you haven’t and don’t plan on it because it is illegal, just know that if the legal drinking age were changed, one would have nothing to think about. Transition: So why do we need to lower the drinking age? II. The Need Step: A. Since the drinking age was raised teens have tended to drink in more of an abusive manor. 1. In 2011 in the United States, 13,000 underage kids died from alcohol poisoning. The next closest country had just 5,000. 2. If the number of underage drinking charges in America reduces, then the overall rate of crime in America will drop therefore making America a safer country. 3. A recent Kansas City newspaper asked 8,726 students if the drinking age should be lowered. Out of 8,726 asked 7,992 said yes B. Underage kids want to consume alcohol and them not being of legal age will not be enough to keep them from getting the alcohol and getting drunk. 1. Police will be able to focus on more serious crimes 2. Petty crimes will no longer be a factor thus allowing...
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...Gun Control Gun Control in the United States is a topic that many people are discussing on the news or in private. The mass shootings at the Aurora movie theater that claimed the lives of 12 and injured 59-plus the recent mass shooting at the elementary school in Newton, Connecticut that claimed the life’s of 20 children and six adults. These shootings have stirred up the old debate about gun control and what the second amendment is and what it means to people. Politicians, including President Obama have claimed to create new laws that will reduce the gun violence in this country. Laws that include an assault weapons ban, background checks, in an attempt to keep guns out of the hands of people who may hurt someone or themselves. The opposition has claimed that some of these laws will violate their second amendment right to bear arms and are fighting against any new gun control measures. There are good potential outcomes of gun control and outcomes that might have a negative impact on citizens. A form of gun control that was law but failed to pass again is the ban on assault rifles. The ban on assault rifles will take those types of guns out of people who might do others harm. Most of the mass shooting that happened in 2012 didn’t involve assault rifles like the AR-15 but hand-guns. Along with the ban on assault rifles there will be tougher laws that will allow faster tracking of weapons. The new background checks and the electronic data of all sales of weapons and ammunition...
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...Assignment 2 Sociology of Developing Countries – SOC 300 02/18/2012 Discuss the growth of urban crime in the Third World, the major obstacles to reducing crime, and the possible political consequences of rising crime rates. Crime The word crime, in the terms of criminal law, is an act which is punishable by the law of the land. All crimes are evil acts. However, some crimes are those acts which are not punishable by the law of the land, even though they are evil acts. A person who is involved in crimes is known as a criminal. The word crime, in a broad sense, is defined as an act which violates either a political law or a moral law. In the narrower sense of the term, the word crime is defined as a violation of the criminal law. Most violations that take place at traffic signals on the roads are considered to be breaches of contracts, but they are not considered to be crimes in the legal sense of the term. Anything that is in violation of the penal code of a country is considered to be a crime. Third world The economically underdeveloped countries of Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America, considered as an entity with common characteristics, such as poverty, high birthrates, and economic dependence on the advanced countries. The French demographer Alfred Sauvy coined the expression ("tiers monde" in French) in 1952 by analogy with the "third estate," the commoners of France before and during the French Revolution-as opposed to priests and nobles, comprising the...
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...from Central and South America. The author Jimenez Francisco, an immigrant from Mexico, came with his family to the United States in the 1940’s. In an article written about him, Deanna Day writes “When Francisco was four years old, his family immigrated to California for more economic and educational opportunities” (Day). The causes of immigration, both legal and illegal, to the United States from Central and South America are first, high crime rates secondly, poverty in those regions, and thirdly, higher quality of life in the United States. First, a cause for immigration to the United States is because of high crime rates. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Central America is tied with Southern Africa as the world’s most violent region (UNODC, 12). In two countries, Mexico and Venezuela, the homicide rate on a three year average has been rising (36). A large part of the violence in this reason is due to gang activity. In 2012, the homicide rate of El Salvador went down by forty percent after a truce between two gangs in the country (45). People do not want to live in a country where they feel unsafe on a regular basis. These conditions are some of the reasons why people immigrate to the United States. Secondly, poverty is also a large concern in these areas. One out of five Latin Americans live in chronic poverty, according to the World Bank study on poverty in Latin America, "Left Behind: Chronic Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean" (Vakis...
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