...Poverty and Crime | Does poverty foster crime? | | SHI Hanwei | 28 September 2012 | Introduction: There has been an ongoing discussion over the relationship between poverty and crime. Some of the researches have concluded that poverty does not increase the crime rate, because in some of the most undeveloped countries where people have low standard of living and some even struggle to survive, the crime rate was proven to be low (Christine 2005). However, in contrast, some scholars have developed a direct relationship between poverty and crime. The researchers indicated that since people who live in poverty are already having a bad life and the benefit of committing a crime is greater than the cost of committing it and ultimately, people who live in poverty is more likely to commit a crime (Niskanen 1996). This essay will examine both perspectives over the relationship between poverty and crime and subjectively suggest possible causes of crime rate. However, since only secondary data are gathered, there might not be sufficient information to present the real issue. Contents of Discussion: In order to prove the direct relationship between poverty and crime, it is crucial to understand the direct influences of poverty and then the potential threats it might oppose to the society. Poverty is defined as the state of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of poor (Dictionary.com 2012). The money is the key part of the definition. People’s wealth...
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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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...Task 1: How would you define Criminology? Criminology is a social Science and One definition of Criminology is, ”knowledge concerning the etiology, prevention, control and treatment of crime delinquency, this includes the measurement and detection of crime, legislation and practice of criminal law, as well as the law enforcement, judicial and correctional systems”. However the research I have done on different Theorists such as DR. Ayman Elzeiny (Egypt), Webster (1959) and Edwin Sutherland, I have learnt that Criminology is hard to define because there are several ways of looking at it. DR. Ayman Elzeiny stated “Criminology can be simply defined as the study of the crime”. He also stated the “Criminology ought before anything to show humanity the way to combat, and especially, prevent, crime”. Another definition I learnt stated “Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals” (Webster 1959). An example of scientific study of crime and criminals is using scientific theories such as, Concrete theories which explain observable and verifiable facts. Another Definition I researched and found was one by Edwin H. Sutherland and he stated, “Criminology is the body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon. It includes within its scope the process of making laws, of breaking laws, and of reacting toward the breaking of laws. The objective of Criminology is the development of a body of general and verified principles and other types of knowledge...
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...life and death figures. The information being provided gives a brief definition of statistics while identifying the different types and levels of statistics. This summary describes the role statistics play in business decision making, and provides examples of problem situations in which statistics is being used or could be used. Statistics is an element of data which studies, collects, organizes, analyzes, interprets and presents all type of data in a statistical way. Statistics can be used to describe a population or group of people in different areas in the world and worldwide. Statistics is the science of learning and receiving a clear understanding from the data being provided. Statistics measures, controls, and communicates the different uncertainties within the data. The two different types of statistics are descriptive and inferential which basically breaks down how statistics are looked at both ways. Descriptive statistics are used to summarize or describe a collection of data that is gathered. Descriptive data is very useful in research while reporting and communicating the results of an experiment. Inferential statistics provides a prediction based on data where a theory logically leads to, and it provides patterns in data that are used to draw from observations. The levels of statistics are measured through nominal measurement, ordinal measurement, interval measurement, and ratio measurement. Statistics play a major role in business decision making because the...
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...rules in the first place. Empirical Science is based purely around observation and measurement, and the vast majority of research involves some type of practical experimentation. This can be anything, from measuring the Doppler Shift of a distant galaxy to handing out questionnaires in a shopping center. This may sound obvious, but this distinction stems back to the time of the Ancient Greek Philosophers. Cutting a long story short, Plato believed that all knowledge could be reasoned; Aristotle that knowledge relied upon empirical observation and measurement. This does bring up one interesting anomaly. Strictly speaking, the great physicists, such as Einstein and Stephen Hawking, are not scientists. They generate sweeping and elegant theories and mathematical models to describe the universe and the very nature of time, but measure nothing. In reality, they are mathematicians, occupying their own particular niche, and they should properly be referred to as theoreticians. Still, they are still commonly referred to as scientists and do touch upon the scientific method in that any theory they have can be destroyed by a single scrap of empirical evidence. The Scientific Method Relies Upon Data The scientific method uses some type of measurement to analyze results, feeding these findings back into theories of what we know about the world. There are two major ways of obtaining data, through measurement and...
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...in which the offender commits an offense that has been deemed as being unlawful act and punishable by the government and usually it is against individuals or property. Criminal behavior is seen as being prohibition or possession that constitutes a menace against the general public or society. In hope of confining and understanding criminal behavior researcher begin to study the brain of violent crime and compare their findings to the brain imaging “normal” individual. Through doing this they came up a new field of study called neurocriminology. Adrian Raine has studied the brain image of murders, violent criminals and psychopaths and from this research, he is convinced that there is a social and environmental cause to violent behavior. Although he is also convinced there exist a biology side of this type of behavior (npr.org, 2013). Believing that just as it is a biological reason for schizophrenia and anxiety disorders and depression and there exist biological recidivists violent offending. Raine re-visioning of violent criminals would hypothetically be of help how we approach crime prevention and rehabilitation. His question of if there had been a difficult birth or you had been exposed to toxins and you...
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...Policy evaluation can be better defined as a process by which general judgments about quality, goal attainment, program effectiveness, impact, and costs can be determined. It is an assessment of whether a set of activities implemented under a specific policy has achieved a given set of objectives. Once public policy has been operationalized through the formal adoption of laws, rules, or regulations, and the bureaucracy has taken action to implement the policy, some form of evaluation needs to be accomplished to determine if the policy has achieved the desired outcome or impact. Public policy represents the expenditure of limited public resources and or restrictions on certain types of individual or organizational behavior. Consequently, the public has a right to expect that their government officials are accountable for the validity, efficiency, and effectiveness of those policies. Policy evaluation is therefore an absolutely critical stage in the policy process whereby we can determine whether a policy’s effects are intended or unintended and whether the results are positive or negative for the target population and society as a whole. In essence, policy evaluation is the process used to determine what the consequences of public policy are and what has and has not been achieved. Elected officials, policy makers, community leaders, bureaucrats, and the public want to know what policies work and what policies don't, and the purpose of evaluation is to determine whether an implemented...
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...and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance’ (21 marks) Labelling theory is a micro approach that looks at how individuals construct society based on their interactions with each other (item). In terms of crime and deviance, labelling theory argues that most people commit deviant and criminal acts but only some are caught and stigmatised for it. So therefore, it is not useful to search for differences between ‘deviants’ and ‘non-deviants’ in society. Labelling theorists believe focus on crime should be understanding the reaction to and definition of deviance rather than the causes of the initial act. One labelling theorist, Becker, suggests the idea of crime as a social construct. He argues that an act only becomes deviant when it is defined as such by others, and that a criminal will only be labelled depending on society’s reaction to the crime. Becker argues that those people that have the power to create and impose their definitions on the rest of society such as the police are called moral entrepreneurs, reinforcing that crime and deviance is a construction of society. In addition to this, Becker argues that there is selective decisions as to whether to or how to deal with illegal or deviant behaviour. He calls this ‘selective law enforcement’ and suggests that police act on their own stereotypes and pre-conceptions on how to respond to the deviance and crime they come across. Labelling theorists are interested in who gets labelled...
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...Unit 1: Definitions & Measurement Learning activity 1: Steps to avoid becoming a victim. There are many steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim, here are some of my thoughts on how to avoid becoming a victim. Be careful where you choose to walk. I personally wouldn’t walk down a dark alley at night time alone because I don’t feel safe. I like to think I am safe in public areas around people doing everyday things. . However, that is not always the way, I think watching crime watch, and horror films and real life stories show you how dangerous life can be and makes you more cautious with what steps you take. Don’t be careless with your valuables. Avoid leaving your bag/purse in public places unattended. I would never leave my bag on a table in a nightclub while dancing with my friends or going get a drink because I have experience bag theft before. Also putting things in your pockets in busy places, always be aware of theft opportunities. Credit cards, identity cards, car and house keys all valuable things should be kept close to you to avoid theft, fraud or any other sort of crime at all time. Learning activity 2: ‘Criminological imagination’ Part of me thinks there was alternative decisions be made with Ben’s situation from the story. He was just 16 years of age and thrown out of home also not eaten for three days, I would have considered how he was feeling as an individual first I would imagine he was upset, starving, not thinking straight, in a time of desperate...
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...Criminal Justice System Paper Introduction In the field of Criminal Justice in America it is important to explore the parts of the criminal justice systems and the processes that occur. Many of the parts and processes in the Criminal Justice System shall be discussed in this work. Crime will be defined in relation to the law. Models of how society views acts as criminals will be reviewed. Choice theories will also be revealed in this work. The Instruments and government structure in relation to criminal justice shall be reviewed as well in this paper Criminal justice is exciting to review. Crime What is crime? Crime has an important definition with an important relation to the law. Crime is not defined by any one individual. It is important to explore what crime is defined as in society. Crime is, conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction, for which there is no legally acceptable justification or excuse. There is no justifying or excusing these acts (Schmalleger, 2009, p. 7). Crimes definition plays a major role in determining which acts are criminal as well as the models that are presented. Government Structure The government is structured in such a way as to support the Criminal Justice System in America. The first part of that structure is the Constitution. The Constitution outlines laws, freedoms and power to several governmental agencies. Government first plays a role in making laws. Then insure enforcement...
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...that all human beings have free will to engage in an act (Barak, Leighton, Flavin, 2010). Early philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, believed that the guide to conduct is a balance between pain and pleasure. In other words, the punishment was to fit the crime (Raymond Paternoster, 2010). Viewing punishment as a deterrent, classical theorist believed employing severe punishment to deter potential offenders who outweighed the pleasure of crime versus the pain of the punishment. Classical theory has been a elemental part of the legal and economic thought as well as influencing the degree of punishment and sentencing in the society (Barak, Leighton, Flavin, 2010). Within criminology the classical school's importance diminished as positivist explanations of criminal behavior emerged and became dominant. However, most modern criminal justice systems have never rejected free will explanations of criminal behavior. In the United States, the classical model has been encouraged more by the system in which it is implanted than by positivism. The classical model has re-emerged in criminology as the "justice model" and rational choice explanations. The positivist criminological theory came about in the late nineteenth century which began to study crime as a social phenomenon which was scientifically based (Barak, Leighton, Flavin, 2010). Cesare Lombroso, Italian psychiatrist and criminologist, concluded that criminals are born not made. He is best known for the atavistic theory that criminals...
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...White Paper for Claremont, CA. The city of Claremont defines the goal of sustainability through their plan as “The vision is one where all who live and work in Claremont are enabled to live in ways that allow them to meet their needs while preserving the ability of future generations to do the same. A sustainable Claremont is a community that balances social needs, environmental health and economic prosperity while not depleting or degrading its natural resources, creating social inequities, or limiting our prospects for continued economic prosperity.” The sustainability plan includes goals, indicators, numeric targets and actions. The city has a very well defined framework that has been in place since October 28th, 2008. The framework has specific implementation processes that are rated based on their estimated cost, benefit, and feasibility. Claremont also has set up an annual sustainability report card program. The plan requires the City Council to approve an annual Report Card that describes the city’s progress towards the indicators and indicator targets described in the goal areas. The Report Card is designed to help the public understand the current status of major areas of concern, whether the situation around each is improving or worsening, and how far they are from success There are 7 goals areas, with multiple goals related to that goal area. The seven goal areas were decided upon within city council meetings, taking into account suggestions from citizens as...
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...Measuring Crime Paper Grant Curry CJA/ 204 Introduction to Criminal Justice October 5, 2015 Christopher Cannon Measuring Crime Crime is an act or omission prohibited and punished by law. Crime in the United States has increased since many years ago. Many years ago crime went unsolved or even lost in the system. Today crime can be investigated better in the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniformed Crime Report (UCR) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) agency are formed together to help investigate crime and to collect data from crime scenes. For many years, these agencies did not have the technology that we have today that also helps with better investigation. Instruments The NCVS agency is the primary source of information on the characteristics of criminal victimization on the types of crimes reported. Crime is measured in the United States by the FBI Uniformed Crime Report. This agency collects the data from the many different types of crime. These reports are then made and followed up with the FBI. The FBI reviews the crime reports carefully to make sure that the report is being reported correctly, accurately, and no errors are indicated on the reports. Then the NCVS agency collects the data and the information pertaining the crime and information from the victim. The information that NCVS collects is very important information that is needed to help solve the crime. The data that is collected is the time and place...
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... Protective Factors and Measurements Substantial research exists on the impact that traumatic or stressful events such as maltreatment have on children (McClure, Chavez, Agars, Matosian, 2008). Maltreatment can be expressed in specific situations such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to violence (McClure, et al 2008; Afifi, MacMillan 2011). Multiple research have concluded that the exposure to such events bring about outcomes that can affect an individual's lifetime (Afifi, McMillan, 2011). Such outcomes include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, impaired academic/occupational functioning, aggression, crime, violence, suicidal behavior, and inappropriate...
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...Crime and the affecting factors of the criminal behavior Prof. Dr. Ayman Elzeiny First : - Introduction to crime : The information about the crime reaches to the public may be through the newspapers , television programs, films, and novels . Some of us have accumulated experience with crime by having ourselves been victims or knowing others who have been victims, some by being offenders (or at least defendants), or knowing such individuals, and others by being occupationally concerned with prevention of crime or supervision of people found guilty of violating the law . There's many difficulties to offer a wholly satisfactory definition of the crime, a word frequently used and a phenomenon often encountered . For the purposes of scholarly study specifically, the amassing of reliable statistics, development of explanations and theories, and preparation of sound public policy a definition more exact than the mental images held by the public is essential . Crime is a by-product of civilization. Most civilized members of society obey authority and conform to the norms prevailing in their culture. Their obedience and compliance may vary in degree, but law-abiding citizens remain within the limits of tolerance. Crime then is a sociopolitical event subject to the definitions of the society in which it occurs. The social response to crime in terms of treatment of offenders is dependent upon the advance of the civilization and the affluence of the society...
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