- Peacemaking theory
- Discuss Peacemaking theory and explain how it could be applied in America by describing a specific (practical) policy or practice.
Peace-making theory state that use of force creates violence. Therefore, the advocates of this theory state that policies on criminal justice contain state-sanctioned violence. This brings more criminal violence than it is supposed to cure. These criminal laws are there to benefit individuals and not to suppress criminal violence. The federal State government should ensure that the criminal acts are there to rehabilitate the lawbreakers to become useful citizens.
- How might the Feminist perspective respond to the U.S.’s focus on street gang violence?
Feminists view women to be different from men, both from social, economic, and political perspectives. Feminists in America have been engaging non-feminists in unending theory wars to ensure that their culture and politics considered. Therefore, if women’s treatment equals that of men, then the harassment and the rights equalized to men and women, then the movements against feminism will reduce in the streets to have more peaceful streets.
- According to Sutherland, how does Differential Association apply to both street and suite criminals?
According to Sutherland, people learn how to live through interacting with others. So all traits developed by a person is through the people that surrounds that particular person. That is from the values, attitudes, skills, and techniques, and even the motives of criminal behavior. The theory explains how one becomes a criminal, but it does not disclose as to why they become one. So if a gang surrounds one, therefore the highest probability is that the person will become a gang member.
- Explain white-collar crime using strain (anomie), neutralization theory, cultural transmission, or reintegrative shaming theory
Sutherland discovered the white-collar crime. These crimes are nonviolent but associated with financial desires. High profile individuals such as businesspersons and politicians for personal gains mainly commit them. In neutralization theory, these individuals in as much as they accept the illegality in their doings, they refuse to define themselves as criminals. Therefore, they concluded that the illegal doings are just one of their life aspects, and the judgments delivered to the so-called small mistakes are unjust.
- Explain deterrence from a theoretical perspective
Deterrence theory says that people tend to obey the law due to fear of being caught and later punished for the wrongdoings. Therefore, if there is a given chance that one can escape the hands of the law and walk away with a wrong, then that person will grandly violate the law. People will not apply their moral values. If one is caught and the only punishment the person will receive is just a warning, then the person will tend to commit the crime. Then the theory states that the punishment should be swift, sure, and severe to prevent one from committing a crime.
- Describe the Broken Windows thesis and the effects that this had on the policies of the 1980 and 90s
Broken window theory states that some visible signs of crime, antisocial behavior, and civil disorder create an environment of serious crimes. Therefore, the regular police routine of keeping order and preventing and targeting small crimes helps to prevent serious crimes. This can be witnessed when Bratton, the police commissioner in New York City, applied the theory in 1990 to 1992, where plain cloth police officers were assigned to handle small crimes within the city. These crimes decreased, restoring peace in the streets of New York City.
- Explain the impact of the convergence of motivated offenders, suitable targets, and lack of guardianship as described by the Routine Activities perspective and how one could alter the cost-benefit calculation for offenders.
In routine activity theory, crimes are not committed randomly, nor are they trivial events. They can be predicted. The daily activities of people make them susceptible and seen as possible and suitable targets of an offender. Therefore, a crime depends on the opportunity that is accorded to the offender by an appropriate target. The availability of possible guardians limits the chances of an offender committing a crime. A guardian can be either be a physical presence of a person or a mechanical means. Therefore, routine activity theory deals with the relation of motivation, opportunity, and targets. So, in case of the presence of a guardian, then the motive and an opportunity will lack for an offender to commit a crime.
- Describe any ONE policy or practice directly influenced by Rational Choice theories (be sure to explain how it was affected by Routine Activities)
Rational theory creates a platform for understanding social and economic behaviors. The social behavior of an individual comes from the action of the individual, and the influence to make their own decisions. For individuals to choose their behavior, they always ensure that the avoidance of pain motivates the choices they make and provide them with their desired pleasure. Therefore, these individuals want crimes to commit depending on their rewards, how easy, satisfying, and fun it is to determine that crime.
- Discuss the Biosocial perspective and provide just one theory OR documented practice/policy as an example of this perspective
It defines personality disorders, mental illness, and disabilities as the main biologically determined traits. Therefore, this was a way of getting the biological determinants of crime and violence. The theory shows that people who portray antisocial behavior are likely to commit crimes.