...that help to display a realistic view of life in Baltimore, Maryland. One of the criminals on the program is a man named Omar Little. Barack Obama stated that Omar Little was his favorite character on the program: “He is not my favorite person, but he’s a fascinating character– a gay gangster who only robs drug dealers and then gives back. But he’s the toughest, baddest guy on the show, and he’s gay. He’s a fascinating character” (Goldman, 2009, p. 1). After watching several episodes of The Wire, it is easy to see why people like this character, even though he is a known criminal who has committed robbery and murder several times. Omar Little is a homsexual, black male, who is seen spending time with boyfriends, yet, he goes against the gay stereotype of being sensitive, and kind, and is one of the most dangerous criminals in Baltimore. He isn’t afraid to pull the trigger of his gun, and he participates in robberies of dangerous drug lords as well as getting involved in inter-gang rivalries. He displays a passion for poetry, and for Greek mythology (shown in Season 2). For a character like Omar Little to be understood, it is important to realize that he is not a good person, he is not a role model. His criminal behavior is daunting and appalling and should not be praised. However, it is the way he commits his crimes, his strict moral code, his way of speaking, and his incredible display of intelligence that leads the audience to ask the question: “Why is Omar Little a criminal?”. ...
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...learning theories assume that people are born good and learn to be bad; social control theory assumes that people are born bad and must be controlled in order to be good; and social reactions theory assumes that whether good or bad, people are shaped, directed, and influenced by the evaluations of others. 2. Travis Hirschi links the onset of criminality to the weakening of the ties that bind people to society. Identify and discuss the elements of the social bond and how they impede crime. Hirshi links the onset of criminality to weakening of the ties that bind people to society. He assumes that all individuals are potential law violators, but most are kept under control because they fear that illegal behavior ill damage their realationships with friends, family, neighbors, teachers, and employers. Without these social bonds, or ties, a person is free to commit criminal acts. Across all ethnic, religious, racial, and social groups, people whose bond to society is weak may fall prey to criminogenic behavior patterns. Hirschi argues that the social bond a person maintains with society is disvided into four main elements: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. 3. Discuss the key points of labeling theory and the consequences of labeling, Include in your discussion the concepts of primary and secondary deviance. The labeling theory has 3 points, Behaviors that are considered criminal are highly subjective, Crime is defined by those in power...
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...old question of why juveniles commit crime is one that will never end. There are multiple theories that attempt to explain this occurrence, but two specific concepts stand out above the rest. It’s the nature versus nurture debate. This debate involves the belief that it is either the environment or biological traits that eventually lead juveniles to criminal behavior. Does some type of “evil gene” exist that causes some to commit crimes? There are some that feel that criminal behavior is due to a person’s upbringing and/or life experiences (“nurture”). Others feel that criminal behavior is much more than environmental factors and involves a person’s genetic makeup (“nature”). Are people just born that way? Is criminal behavior...
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...Two theories of criminal behaviour and their factors Developmental theories of crime A study performed by a psychologist Terri Moffitt (1993), she described a dual taxonomy of offending behaviour, and she attempted to explain the developmental processes that can lead to a distinctive shape of the age crime curve. Her original views was that the theory is one of the more important articles in criminology and proposes that there are two types of anti-social behaviour offender’s display in society. Adolescent offender’s exhibit anti-social behaviour only during their adolescent stages these are called limited adolescent offenders, whereas life-course-persistent offenders behave like this early in the childhood stages and continue to behave this way as a part of life until it becomes more serious in adult life. This theory focuses more on the anti-social aspects of crime as there are different definitions of crime across cultures and due to the similar characteristics and trajectories this theory can then be applied to both of the sexes. There are recognised disorders than can contribute to crime and that form criminals, in some cases not because they want to but because of a disorder such as (ASPD) Anti-social Personality Disorder. It is recognised by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 4th edition) in most cases individual who display anti-social behaviour have been convicted and gone through court processes without being diagnosed. This disorder...
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...Applying Criminology to Juvenile Justice 27 Nov 2013 Applying Criminology to Juvenile Justice The area of law and policy concerned with young people and the criminal system is often referred to as juvenile justice. The reasons behind any young person becoming involved in crime are varied and complex. For example, possible factors such as poor parental supervision, drug and alcohol abuse, neglect and abuse, homelessness, negative peer associations, poor personal and social skills or difficulties in school and employment. There are several sociological theories that back these factors, such as Social Learning, Differential Association, Containment, Social Control, and Labeling. The Labeling theory is defined as, “A social process perspective that sees continued crime as a consequence of the limited opportunities for acceptable behavior that follow from the negative responses of society to those defined as offenders.” ( Schmalleger). In 1938, Frank Tannenbaum first introduced the Labeling Theory. Tannenbaum stated, "The process of making the criminal is therefore the process of tagging, defining, identifying, segregating, describing, and emphasizing any individual out for special treatment becomes a way of stimulating, suggesting, and evoking the very traits that are complained of. A person becomes the thing they are described as being." The Labeling theory is a sociological approach to explaining how criminal behavior is perpetuated by the police and others...
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...A00338366 Master of Science in Criminal Justice General Walden University August 20, 2012 Criminal justice is a broad category; there are many issues within criminal justice that can definitely use adjustments just as with any other subject in society. The increasing amount of crime in the United States has become unbearable for those who are living within the country. Juvenile delinquency and juvenile recidivism is at an all-time high; there is a vast amount of society that participates in juvenile crime prevention while others pretend like it is not their job. In order for anything to be successful everyone involved must put forth a joint effort. This paper will focus on a targeted population of juveniles African Americans and those of low economic status along with delinquency and recidivism, who commits juvenile crimes, why do juveniles reoffend. Juvenile delinquency is of great importance; and juvenile recidivism is even more important everyone should take the time to participate in some way in order to prevent it. Often time’s society questions why there is so much juvenile crime and recidivism that exist, but reality is until everyone works as a team instead of in separation juvenile crime and recidivism will stand just as it did the first day it started. The best research methods to use to retrieve credible and somewhat accurate information would definitely have to be both quantitative and qualitative research. The use of both methods is needed because there are...
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...Jerril A. Ramirez, Ma. Bernadette Riverside College Inc. Computer 2: Internet Research January 9, 2015 RESEARCH PAPER APPROVAL In partial fulfilment of the requirements for Computer 2 - Internet Research, this research paper entitled “Effects of Violent Video Games and Media on Aggressive Behavior” with the following subtitles: 1. What are the elements that provoke the child to take interest in violent media and games? 2. Does playing and watching anything remotely violent really affect a child’s behavior? 3. What is the behavioral result if the child is exposed to violent entertainment? 4. In what aspects can a child be able to stop his aggressive behavior? 5. What measures does the media industry have to do in order to put a stop to this? Has been prepared and submitted by Perona, Jerril A. Palma, Keirsha J. Gabin, Pauline C. Ramirez, Bernadette G. APPROVED BY: Mrs. Maritess Pomada January 9, 2015Coordinator, Psychology Department | Introduction “Effects of Violent Video Games and Media on Aggressive Behavior” It’s not a new issue – in the 1950s, psychiatrist Fredric Wertham wrote a book called “Seduction of the Innocent”, which claimed that comic books were unnecessarily exposing children to violence and causing them to become delinquent. Although Wertham’s methods and claims have since been called into question, similar concerns about the links between violent media and violent...
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...blame parents for a bad juvenile but they alone are not responsible for a bad juvenile delinquent.A juvenile becomes delinquent due to environment all factors are responsible family,society,peers factors,etc.Juvenile becomes delinquent when he does not get the appropriate love and affection he wishes to have.Slowly the juvenile follows the path of delinquency and then becomes delinquent.We all see the cases of juvenile delinquency but no one cares to look into the factors responsible for juvenile delinquency.It is said that prevention is better than cure.After juvenile becomes delinquent we try to reform him but if we from beginning take steps so that a juvenile doesn’t become delinquent then we won’t have to look into cases of increased crimes by juvenile delinquents.I have tried to throw light on those factors which play an important role in making a child delinquent and what are the methods by which we can stop a child from becoming delinquent and also the laws which have been made for juveniles.It is important to train a child properly to make a juvenile a responsible citizen of our country.I have also thrown light on salient features of juvenile justice act.Juveniles laws also seen in international perspective. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND JUSTICE Juvenile delinquency, also known as "juvenile offending", is participation in illegal behavior by minors (juveniles, i.e. individuals younger than the statutory...
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...were asked why he was bullied to the point of taking his own life. In 2010, Carmichael hung himself in his family’s barn after incessant verbal and physical abuse. Besides being the target of homosexual slurs, he was thrown into trashcans on a weekly basis and held upside down over a toilet in the school’s bathroom while his head was flushed over and over. There is now a $20 million federal lawsuit against the school for negligence and rightfully so, because the most appalling part of this whole tragedy is the fact that Carmichael was only 13 years old. The lawsuit claims that several members of the school’s faculty witnessed the bullying and did not report it. It also states that an unknown staff member even filmed one incident and posted the video on YouTube (Kuo & Cooper, 2011). Unfortunately cases like this one are occurring far too frequently in our society, and the ages of these victims who commit suicide are dropping. Carmichael’s tragic ending is just one horrific example of what can happen when school officials choose to look the other way after witnessing bullying. The purpose of this proposal is to convince readers that school administrators need to actively identify and attend to the bully’s potential psychological issues, instead of focusing on the victim’s behavior. When faculty members ignore confrontations between students, they support the bully’s actions and force the target to carry another burden alone. I am not an expert on this topic, but I do have experience...
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...adult court system. Once these children enter the adult system, there is a possibility that a myriad of punishments can be received for their crimes. Of these punishments, life without the possibility of parole (LWOP) appears to be the most stringent and the hardest to swallow. According to a Juvenile Life Without Parole Fact Sheet, “A LWOP sentence is the harshest sentence given short of execution. The sentence means that an individual will not be given the opportunity for parole review and is condemned to die in prison” (Citizens for Juvenile Justice, 2008). For some, the idea of having a child spend the rest of their natural lives behind bars for capital and even noncapital crimes can be daunting and unfair. For many young people, they are at the point in their young lives where they are still trying to figure out who they are and they willingly test certain boundaries. Life in prison without parole attempts to snuff out what little life they have just begun to build. However, many would also argue that if you are capable of doing adult crimes and are willing to accept the responsibility of the crime, then you are capable of serving adult time. But with the landmark Supreme Court decision of Roper v. Simmons in 2005, the sentence of death is no longer possible for juveniles under the age of 18. This decision has changed our views about the level of a juvenile’s culpability and our response to such criminal offenses. Instead of facing...
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...Mocking Bird spoke to the prejudices of a community. Movies such as Roots illustrated the hardship of the slaves. From the Roman’s persecution of Christians to today’s rap song lyrics about economic disparities the plight of the minority has been fought for millennium. This research examines the struggle of minorities within the juvenile justice system and the differential rates of adjudication and length of sentencing between the white majority and the black minority juvenile offenders. During the course of this research, additional insights were gained from an internship at a youth correctional center as well as drawing on my own personal experience as a refugee from Gabon. The findings of my research demonstrate that minority offenders do receive harsher sentences than the whites, and that there are several factors contributing to higher rates of juvenile delinquency among African Americans; primarily education and community. To consider the struggle of minorities is important because it creates awareness that the maltreatment of a minority group by the dominant majority often ends in violence and destruction. If we can understand what cause the inequality better, then mankind can live more peacefully and prosperously. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to have a mentor and a RC like Mr. Doug Brown and an advisor Dr. Jackie Burns to help me write my capstone. Mr. Brown served as a facilitator helping to clarify the process and helping to keep me on track with my...
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...topic within the academic discipline of psychology. As biosocial theorists do, psychologists focus on how individual characteristics may interact with the social environment to produce a violent event. However, rather than focus on the biological basis of crime, psychologists focus on how mental processes impact individual propensities for violence. Psychologists are often interested in the association between learning, intelligence, and personality and aggressive behaviour. In this section of the report, we briefly review some of the major psychological perspectives that have attempted to explain violent behaviour. These perspectives include the psychodynamic perspective, behavioural theory, cognitive theory and personality theory. We will also explore the possible relationship between mental illness and violence. Social learning theory Social learning theory is a theory that attempts to explain socialization and its effect of the development of the self. There are many different theories that explain how people become socialized, including psychoanalytic theory, functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction theory. Social learning theory, like these others, looks at the individual learning process, the formation of self, and the influence of society in socializing individuals. Social control theory gained prominence during the 1960s as sociologists sought differing conceptions of crime. It was during this period that Travis Hirschi put forth his innovative...
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...on which the relationship rests. 1. Passionate attraction (PA) 2. Mutual expectations (ME) 3. Personal intentions (PI) Passionate attractions (PA) → Individual experiences intensely pleasurable sensations when thinking about or being with a new partner. → Blushing, trembling, breathlessness, high sexual desire → Referred to as infatuation = passing love “a foolish and unreasoning love’ → Infatuation is not a realistic / accurate appraisal of the relationship / idealisation → Negative / flaws in the idealised beloved may be intellectually recognised, but disregarded as endearingly special. Person chooses to ignore the negatives → Normal phase in the process of relationships → Infatuation can lead to a lasting relationship – but it mostly fades away and relationship based on infatuation alone will fail. Love → Involves physical attraction - deeper → Love encompasses PA, ME and PI → People rely mostly on life experiences to guide them to their own unique way of demonstrating love. → Eric Fromm “love is active concern for the life and growth of the person we love” → Love is deep, unselfish, caring, deep respect Hauck’s basic principles about love • It is not just the person you love, but rather what he/she does for you - actions speak louder than verbal promises of love and devotion. • Just like any business relationship, you have to invest in the relationship so as to benefit from its rewards - love requires a reciprocal investment from both parties • Love is like a business partnership...
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...-homicide is a crime that is socially, historically and culturally determined. * -homicide comprises a variety of offenders and victims in different social settings. * -Homicide in NSW is largely interpersonal in nature, rather than instrumental or ideological. * -Majority of interpersonal killings involved intimates. * -Homicide patterns reflect cultural norms. * -homicide is spontaneous rather than premeditated crime. * -Homicide offenders exhibit a wide range of moral culpability. 5.3 Murder S18 Crimes Act (1900) NSW S 18. (1) (a) Murder shall be taken to have been committed where the act of the accused, or thing by him omitted to be done, causing the death charged, was done or omitted with reckless indifference to human life, or with intent to kill or inflict grievous bodily harm upon some person, or done in an attempt to commit, or during or immediately after the commission, by the accused, or some accomplice with him, of a crime punishable by penal servitude for life or for 25 years. (b) Every other punishable homicide shall be taken to be manslaughter. S 18 (2)(a) No act or omission which was not malicious, or for which the accused had lawful cause or excuse, shall be within this section. (b) No punishment or forfeiture shall be incurred by any person who kills another by misfortune only. MR Intention to kill and intention to inflict GBH * Conscious purpose and decision; not desire. Put another way, one intends to do something...
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...and reaffirm that India needs politics of development rather than the politics of polemics and populism. More than ever before, both people and political parties should see to it that they work for harmony and not for acrimony among people professing different faiths and practising varied ways of conduct and character in their day to day lives. No other concern and consideration should weigh on the perceptions and priorities of politicians, programmers and planners, except those that enhance developmental activities in all walks of life and ultimately help improve quality of life of those subsisting at the lowest levels of our socio-economic ladder. It is time now that political parties of every hue and hype focused their manifestos, programmes and policies on developmental vision and pragmatic approach and action to achieve the goals of social justice. There is no denying that the most effective measure in this direction is the involvement of youth in developmental activities and a harmonious harnessing of their youthful energies and enthusiasm. For this to happen on the ground, we, as an upcoming nation, need to orient ourselves towards development, whether on farms or in factories, on technologies or service sectors, et al. In order to make the best use of resources, both human and natural, all political parties must converge on developmental politics, because without development we cannot hope to engage our youth in constructive and creative activities, nor can we envisage...
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