...Criminal Acts and Choices D Brat CJA/204 January 18, 2012 University of Phoenix Criminal Acts and Choices This paper will identify and describe choice theories and how they relate to crime, and will list and describe the common models in how society determines which acts are considered to be criminal and how it impacted by choice theories of crime. It is easy to understand why the entertainment industry and the media are targeted as the cause of criminal violence, many other explanations for crime are also viable, like genetic abnormalities or psychological differences in individuals. Various patterns of early socialization may cause a person to commit a crime (Schmalleger, 2009). Some types of criminology theories are classical and neoclassical, include the Free will theory, rational choice theory and routine activities theory. Crime is caused by exercise of free will. Prevention is possible with punishment that offsets any gains to be had through criminal behavior. The choice theory was developed in the 18th century by an Italian philosopher and politician. His theory explains the offender’s motivation to commit a crime is purposeful, with the intent of some sort of ego boosts or personal gain. The rational cause theory is when the offender makes the choice to commit the crime upon examining the consequences or benefits. The offender would then plan the crime and the location and the target of the crime. The offender would then execute the crime knowing that it is...
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...Criminal Justice System Stephanie Rigby CJA/204 March 11, 21013 Ray Cueller Criminal Justice System * For the first assignment in this course – Introduction to Criminal Justice – as students we have been asked to define crime, its relationship to the law, and the two most common models of how society determines which acts are criminal. Further, it is required to describe our governments’ configuration as it applies to the criminal justice system, identify theories, and assumptions of the system and the criminal justice processes. Given this task, the description of justice system goals and my own thoughts if the criminal justice system is truly a system should be included. Following review of our text materials and subsequent research, there are some conclusions that can be approximated. The definition of crime would be any forbidden action that may be prosecuted by the state and is a punishable offense by law. As previously noted in discussion forums, crime cannot exist without laws. Without a law prohibiting a criminal act, or rather a forbidden activity, any act would be considered legal. Even in the Cji Interactive Multi-Media web link provided in the course materials, the media videos conclude that without law – an individual rule as part of a system – anything and everything would be legal. Due to morality, a system has been established that regulates communities by a regulatory authority. According to our text by Frank Schmalleger, this system has...
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...Criminal Acts and Choices Criminal Acts and Choices Choice Theory gives us an explanation of motivation which is different from what many people have been taught. An aspect of Choice Theory is the belief that we are internally, not externally motivated. Other theories suggest that certain events that happened in life cause people to behave in certain ways; Choice Theory teaches that these events do not make people do anything. Peoples behaviors are internally developed feelings of what is most important and satisfying to them. People have ideas of how they would like things to be. People want to be connected with other people and achieve the same things that their neighbor does. Choice theory is exactly what it says, people have to make a choice on their own as the how they will behave and what standards they will hold themselves to. No amount of law can make a person do something that they do not want to do each individual has to make that choice for themselves. Southern California psychiatrist William Glasser, the author of Reality Therapy, believes that almost all human misery is caused by people trying to control others. He says, “the only behavior we can control is our own; by the same token, no one can make us do anything we don't want to. It's only when we give up spending our energy trying to force others to conform to our ideas or to keep them from doing the same to us that we are able to live the way we want to.”( William Glasser) Choice theory...
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...Criminal Acts and Choices Tamara Manning CJA/204 June 16, 2012 Criminal Acts and Choices “Choice theories state that the decision to commit (or refrain from) crime is an exercise of free will based on the offender’s efforts to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.” Choice theories are perspectives on crime causation that states that criminality is the aftermath of conscious choices made by people. There are four basic theories that are considered: Psychological positivism, biological, positivism, rational choice, and sociological positivism. These theories rely on logic to explain why people commit crimes and whether a criminal act is the result of a rational decision, internal predisposition or external aspects. A multitude of factors are considered to play roles in criminal activity. Social, political, and economic inequities, for instance, may create conflict within society. Human development, an absence of “normal” opportunities, failed self-direction, and inadequate social roles, association with defective individuals, or social organization and disorganization may also pave the road to criminal activity. Some theorists say that criminal behavior derives from psychobiological factors such as human DNA or hormones; others say inappropriate behavioral conditioning or a diseased mind contributes to criminal activity. Regardless of the reasons behind crime, this is a very real...
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...Criminal Acts and Choices Paper Your Name Here CJA/204 University of Phoenix Criminal Acts and Choices Over the years there have been several different schools of theory which have been developed with the intent of explaining and understanding criminal behavior. These schools of theory include sociological, biological, psychobiological, psychological, classical, social process, emergent, and conflict. There are a variety of factors which play a role in determining what is considered criminal activity. Several factors within social, political, and economic inequities have had a roll in creating conflict within society which has led to criminal activities. As a part of the human development process, failed self-direction, an absence of “normal” opportunities, association with defective individuals, inadequate social roles as well as social organization and disorganization are a variety of factors which have led to individuals engaging in what is considered criminal activities. Some theorists say that criminal behavior derives from psychobiological factors such as hormones and human DNA; while others point to inappropriate behavioral conditioning as a contributing factor to criminal activity. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries a classical school of crime causation dominated criminology. Prior to classical theories, superstitious beliefs and mysticism explained the reasoning for deviance. The classical school recognized rationality...
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...Criminal Acts and Choice response 12/12/2012 Criminal Acts and Choice response The term choice theories better yet known as rational choice theories were developed by DR William Glasser in 1995. In Doctor Glasser’s theories he explains human desire to satisfy their genetic needs one has in order to survive. These desires cause humans to make conscious choices and act upon them in any way they decide to ensure the needed desires are satisfied. These theories relate to criminal activity because criminals feel that crime is their only way of fulfilling these desires. The need to survive is a primal instinct shared by all humans. When a person breaks a law, their offense becomes criminal and this affects society through costly trials, the need for more corrections, and housing; thus impacting the economy in a negative way. Not everyone develops negative ways to survive, however everyone makes conscious decisions to ensure their own and family survival. What sets the criminal apart from good people is that they will commit crimes such as theft to finance their survival while law abiders chose to work for it. Out of the basic desires described by Doctor Glasser, I would say that connecting and belonging go hand-in-hand. When one connects, is means for one to associate with someone in a personal, professional, and emotional way. The feeling of belonging with another person or group is what comes after the connection is made. It is a popular belief that criminals commit...
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...Theories on Criminal Acts CJ/204 January, 16, 2012 Professor Ryann Jorban Abstract There are many reasons why people commit crimes. We live in a world constantly changing and due to the change there are many theories on why people commit crimes. Theories on criminal acts There are many theories on why people commit crimes. By us understanding on why people commit a crime, we can develop ways to control crime. In criminology there are many theories on why people commit crimes. It is believed that an individual weights the pros and cons and makes a conscious choice whether or not to commit a crime. According to “Theorist Beccaria,” crime occurs when the benefits outweigh the costs- when people pursue self-interest in the absence of effective punishments. Crime is a free-willed choice. When considering the reasons leading to a criminal activity choice theory plays an important role. According to “Wikipedia” Choice theory is the believe that individuals choose to commit a crime and look at the opportunities before them. Weighing the benefit versus the punishment and deciding whether to proceed or not. Another important theory is classical theory. According to “Wikipedia” classical theory ascertains that people think before they proceed with criminal actions, that when one commits a crime it is because the individual decided that it was advantageous to commit the crime. Social learning theory is another important theory on why people commit crimes. According to “Wikipedia”...
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...Checkpoint: Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response CJS/200 June 7, 2013 To understand choice theories, and how they relate to crime, one must first understand from what perspective the theories originate. The Classical School approach to criminology, prevalent in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, states that “…free will and reasonable punishments…” emphasize crime causation; and that, “…punishment, if it is to be an effective deterrent, has to outweigh the potential pleasure derived from criminal behavior” (Schmalleger, 2011, p. 81). One contemporary theory rooted in the Classical School approach, is the neoclassical criminology perspective, which places emphasis on rationality and cognition (Schmalleger, 2011). Central to this perspective is the rational choice theory, which states that offenders choose to commit crimes when they believe the benefit outweighs the cost or punishment. Take, for example, a person in financial despair unable to buy food. That person may rationalize that satisfying their needs by stealing outweighs the cost of the punishment. The choice theories affect society by enforcing laws and punishments to attempt to deter criminal acts, and simultaneously to discourage others in society from attempting them. There are two common models for society to determine what acts are considered criminal. The crime-control model, also referred to as Packer’s crime-control model, emphasizes the, “…efficient arrest and conviction of criminal offenders”...
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...The consequences of the Youth Criminal Justice Act [YCJA] can be referred as too light. Since the YCJA has taken over, youth crime is slowly decreasing. The discipline of the YCJA may need to become harsher. The YCJA has evolved from the harsh Young Offenders Act [YOA]. Stats on youth crime suggest that the YCJA is helping to reduce the amount of young offenders. Some cases suggest that the YCJA is not being tough enough with what young offenders are being sentenced with. The study of the human brain suggest that youths don’t understand the consequences of the crimes that they are committing resulting in the need for them to know the consequences. Through cases and the study of the human brain the YCJA needs some aspects changed for the better of society. The evolution of the YCJA has been formed from many different acts. Each act consists of similarities and differences between them. Different acts are formed over time to satisfy the needs of punishment as the world develops. The YCJA is the newest act which consist of similarities and differences of the YOA. The main difference of the YCJA and the YOA was the severity of the penalty for the crime committed. The YOA “was a highly controversial statute. While conservative politicians criticized the law for being ‘‘soft on youth crime,’’’ (Pulis). Since the YOA was soft on youth punishment, youths were not too concerned if they broke the law. Youths would break the law get a slap on the wrist and move on to committing...
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...In 1908, a little girl of 15 or 16 was hanged for stealing in her town. Today, if someone is caught stealing, they would most likely be charged with a fine. This case of two polar opposite consequences has caused much controversy between Canadians. Should the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) be harsher on young offenders or should the government go back to imposing the Juvenile Delinquent Act instead? Not at all. Even if many people feel that the YCJA is too easy on youth, it is the best act passed so far for youth offenders. The YCJA is equitable to many youth offenders facing unique circumstances and youth are less likely to commit a crime or feel like they need to, if they get rehabilitated into society. Background checks are an important...
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...oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Choice theories are the choices to commend or abstain from wrong had an implement of free will based on the offender’s hard work to reduce pain and exploit pleasure. In this paper, I will look at choice theories and how they relate to crime and a little about common models in how society determines which acts are considered to be criminal, and how these are impacted by choice theories of crime. A choice theory is the evaluation on offenses caused by a criminal due to the consequences of conscious choices. It is also known as the rational choice theory. According to this theory, criminals want to disobey the laws when he or she believes that the price of doing so does not overshadow the profit. In fact choice theory has an inner behavior to our life and that it is hereditarily motivated by five desires: freedom, ability, love, survival, and responsibility. The choice theory also has 10 Axioms that are based on a therapy method that is all about serving customers taught to formulate excellent choices. Some of the axioms are: behaviors that he or she choose but mainly those he or she act on, one that he or she can control, relationships long term and short term, behavior is made up of four mechanism- physiology, feeling, acting and thinking, and all behaviors are divided into verbs. Everyone as a choice in life whether if he or she decides to eat at the mall or go carjacking it is up to him or her to decide whatever they want to do...
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...Criminal Acts and Choices As children grow up they embrace a set of morals and characteristics that are embedded by their societies. Every individual in society has a set of emotions and own responses to everyday life. Every day individuals are faced with choices they will have to choose a path which can dramatically affect their life. As we walk through life we have our own behaviors. Dr. Glasser explains, “Choice Theory is an explanation of human behavior developed by Dr. William Glasser. Dr. Glasser explains that all we do all our lives is behave, and that we choose our behavior in an attempt to meet one or more of the five basic human needs that are built into our genetic structure.”( ) As we look at Dr. William Glassers explanation of human behaviors we start to determine how choice theory relates to crime. As we study choice theory we start to understand the thinking of criminals and why they commit the crimes they do. Due to our morals that have been driven into us by our society we grew up in we start to piece together the thought process that each individual goes through before and after they commit there crime. According to Choice theory “A criminal commits a crime, according to this theory, because she believes the crime will ultimately benefit her. Possible ways a crime might benefit someone might be financial gain, a sense of control, a sense of power, the mystique of the "outlaw" or just as an alternative career“ ( ). As we investigate more...
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...Write a 200- to 300-word response in which you describe choice theories and how they relate to crime. Describe the common models for society to determine which acts are considered criminal. Explain how choice theories of crime affect society. Colorado and Washington State to add marijuana use to 2012 ballot. Health Inspector, Set of 8 Goals. The police represent the largest and most visible segment of the criminal justice system. As organized agents of law enforcement and peacekeeping, police officers are charged with the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of criminal offenders, the defense of constitutional guarantees, the resolution of community conflicts, the protection of society, and the promotion and preservation of civil order. They have often been referred to as a “thin blue line” between order and anarchy in modern society. Police brutality exerts a heavy toll on society, as each year officers and citizens alike are injured or killed during violent confrontations. Such incidents can invite expensive lawsuits against agencies and generate feelings of mistrust among the public, often costing law enforcement the cooperation of those they are under oath to protect and serve. Although the Supreme Court and the Kerner Commission brought police violence to public attention during the 1960s, the subject had long been the focus of rigorous study. As western America became more populated and more lawless, the sheriff evolved into an active agent of...
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...Discuss the potential criminal liability of Jonty and Patrick for the non-fatal offences against the person, including any relevant defences (50 marks) Jonty is likely to liable for an s20 or s18 offence under the Offences against the Persons Act 1861. S20 is the malicious wounding or inflicting GBH with intention or subjective recklessness as to causing some harm, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. This is the same maximum sentence as an s47 offence which can be seen as a problematic area in the law which is in need of reform. Jonty’s act of hitting Patrick hard across the back of his head satisfies the actus reus for wounding. As defined in JCC v Eisenhower (1983), wounding is ‘a cut or break in the continuity of the whole skin’, and held that a cut must be of the whole skin and a scratch is not considered as a wound. However, Saunders (1985) overruled the definition of GBH from DPP v Smith (1961), where the definition went from ‘really serious harm’ to ‘serious harm’. Jonty clearly had wounded Patrick, and although not life threatening Patricks injuries can still amount to GBH, and it is only needed to show that his actions led to the consequences of V’s GBH. This was ruled in Burstow (1997) where ‘inflict’ didn’t require a technical assault or battery. Jonty may be liable for s 39 of Criminal Justice Act 1988 for battery. Battery is the application of unlawful force or violence with intention or subjective recklessness to applying the unlawful force. This...
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...Checkpoint: Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response Oval Campbell CJ200 Martin Nealeigh November 30, 2013 Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response Write a 200- to 300-word response in which you describe choice theories and how they relate to crime. Describe the common models for society to determine which acts are considered criminal. Explain how choice theories of crime affect society. Post your response as an attachment. The common models that societies use to determine which acts are considered criminal are based in basic human rights. We unconsciously know that dreadful crimes such as murder are essentially wrong. Yet the concept of having the God given right to pursue happiness and our desires must have a limit. So in general, laws reflect respect for others rights as well, ensuring that we can all both pursue our personal happiness without impinging on our neighbors’ rights. In order to promote law enforcement, one of two models is usually chosen. In the centralized model, one or two agencies work in tandem to perform street enforcement, traffic duty, and criminal investigation. In the regionalized model police departments, sheriffs, and constables handle the duties of patrol and traffic, while a separate state department performs investigation. Sensible Choice Theory: The sensible choice theory explains why some people choose to commit crime. In its most basic form, the concept is that people will commit crimes if they are given the motive...
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