Theories of Criminology

Theory and Strategy to Avoid Stereotyping Individuals in the Criminal Justice System

The Rational Choice theory can be used to avoid stereotyping people since it deals with people as individuals and not groups. In this theory, the people are considered to be able to study different situations and make their own decisions. The theory explains that the offenders commit the crime for their personal gain. This theory does not show why different people get involved in criminal activities but rather explains why crime occurs. The theory concentrates more on the needs of a person as that might be a reason for one to get involved in criminal activities. It does not focus on separating criminals from crime as it does not believe that the criminals are uncomfortable with this activity because there is a decision made with goals to be achieved for personal gains. According to this theory the offenders are aware of the outcome of the crime they commit and are ready to be punished in case they are caught. It explains that the best way to reduce crime is by trying to reduce the things that cause criminal activities and also by reducing crime opportunities. The offenders are not different from other people as most of the time they abide to the law and thus they fit perfectly in a society. This theory is the finest as it does not divide people in a society according to their poverty level or education background when determining criminals (Cornish &Clarke, 2014).

Labeling Theory

In the labeling theory the quality and standard of a person does not depend on what they have but on what other people say about them. A person can also be labeled from a criminal offence they commit when the offence is made public which can be in a school or a community. A person can also be labeled after receiving a punishment of the criminal offence they commit for example, when they come from prison. In another case, a person might have not committed a criminal offence but people might end up labeling him a criminal. A person labeled as a criminal might find it hard to lead a normal life. This is due to discrimination and people not wanting or fearing to associate with them. Such a person might find it hard to secure a job as most people will not be ready to work with them. Thus the person may start relating with criminals as there feel it is the only group that is ready to accept them. They can also end up being criminals as they struggle to survive and earn a living. This labeling might cause restriction to life opportunities as the person will be restricted from leading a normal life and trying new things in life. A person labeled as a criminal might find it hard to get out of crime due to being separated from other people. The labeling theory is a legitimate crime causation theory because sometimes action taken to reduce crime is likely to increase. Labeling and treating people who have been in crime as criminals encourage them to continue committing the crime activities. Also, when people are labeled as criminals they may find it hard to associate with other people and feel comfortable associating with criminals which will encourage them to stick to criminal activities. When people are labeled as criminals and cannot get employment opportunities they might decide to become criminals so as to earn a living. People labeled as criminals find it hard to leave the crime groups as they might not be accepted by the common people. For example, when a person who had been in prison is set free, people in the community might not be ready to forgive them and take them back into the community even if the person was willing and ready to change. This might force a person to go back to their previous lives of crime (Williams III &McShane, 2017).

Where Gangs Fit in the Versions of Cultural Deviance Theory

In my opinion, most gangs fit in the subcultures of crime where individuals come together to band in creating crimes for their own personal gain and satisfaction. In these areas the use of violence is very high and seems acceptable and thus the people using violence do not feel guilty about what they do. It is believed that in these areas, the violence is as a result of a geographical subculture of violence. The youths in these areas are culturally separated from a normal community and it becomes hard for them to earn a living. In these subcultures, most people struggle to even lead a stable life where they can afford all their basic needs. Most parents in these areas try to encourage their children to work hard and lead a civil life. In the same place we find the street families where children are mostly taken care of by a single parent. In these street families is where we find children and youths who even struggle to get food and shelter. Youths from these families are usually uneducated and mostly get involved in drug abuse together with their families. Children in these families are not taken good care of by their parents. Some even suffer from malnutrition due to lack of a balanced diet and enough food. Some of these children are not disciplined while others receive physical and mental abuse from parents or other people. When these children grow up, some cannot be able to live a normal life. They are not able to relate with normal people and are sometimes very violent when solving issues. These young people turn to the streets where they try to earn their respect by showing how strong they are and wanting people to fear them. They like being referred to as the ‘bad boys’ and other kids and people fear messing around with them. They end up forming groups where they use violence to survive and live like brothers where they protect each other. With time, they form crime gangsters so as to survive in the streets.  They use these groups to support and take care of each other. Some criminal groups enjoy the acts of violence and as a result engage more in them. They also get involved in crime so as to earn a living as they have no other source of income (Robert Lilly, Cullen & Ball, 2007).

Causes of Increase in Crime

Labeling can cause an increase in crime in that it tends to make the labeled persons withdraw from other people due to fear of rejection. This labeling can be from parents, teachers or the community. The labeled person might look for a place where they fit which might among criminals. An official labeling in school, at home or in the community can be as a result of a crime committed and made known to many people by being announced publicly. This will lead to the person who committed the crime being referred to as a criminal and this might spread throughout a community. The labeled youths will fear interacting with those who are not labeled and thus they become stigmatized. The normal and stigmatized tend to avoid each other because none of the groups feels they want to be associated with the other. The labeled youths feel comfortable associating with other people who are in crime since they feel rejected by the rest of the society. This group is the only one that would not have difficulty accepting them. This will encourage the labeled youths to join crime gangs. Joining crime gangs also increases the chances of them being caught and taken to prison. While in custody, these criminals are taught how to better their lives when they get their freedom. They are then released from prisons after a good conduct follow up and are given the chance to better their lives with skills gained while in prison. However, there is always a problem because they are not accepted back into the community since they are still viewed as criminals. They are then forced to go back to being criminals as they cannot get people to associate with in the normal world and this has led to increased gang criminal activities (Bernburg, Krohn& Rivera, 2006).

References

Bernburg, J., Krohn, M., & Rivera, C. (2006). Criminal Embeddedness, and Subsequent Delinquency. Journal Of Research In Crime And Delinquency, 43(1). doi:10.1177/0022427805280068

Cornish, D. B., & Clarke, R. V. (Eds.). (2014). The reasoning criminal: Rational choice perspectives on offending. Transaction Publishers. 

Robert Lilly, J., Cullen, F., & Ball, R. (2015). Criminological Theory (6th ed., p. 1). London: SAGE Amazon.Williams III, F. &McShane, M. (2017). Criminology Theory: Selected Classic Reading (2nd ed., pp. 181 – 189). New York: Routradge 2 Park Square