The Role of Society in Eliminating Crime - Coursework Example

Crime Name Course Institutional affiliation Introduction A crime is a violation of the set laws and statutes set by a country. A crime entails breaking the laws and this warranties the conviction of the individual. Criminals are made not born. Therefore, the society has a role to play in eliminating crime. . Criminals are products of their society. A hostile society in most cases results, in a hostile individual. If a child is raised in a society that is rude and violent, in most cases, they turn out to be criminals. Every human being has needs. Every day, man has to find means to meet these needs. However, the needs outstrip the resources. A society needs laws and rules to govern them. They may have been initially implemented for political gain; however, the laws are for the good of the society. People need rules and regulations to govern them. Otherwise, the whole world would be chaotic. Crime is rampant. There is no place on earth that is not confronted with the problem of criminality. The form is what fluctuates only (Nuno & Klerman, 2002). This means that the criminal acts are characterized in a different approach everywhere and always. Crime and science Children when three years old, they have dreams of becoming princesses and astronauts. According to the study by scientist, some of these toddlers are already destined for a life of crime. The researches have an opinion that there are abnormalities in the child’s. These abnormalities are found in the more often in criminals as compared to the law- abiding citizens. However, it is not clear how these abnormalities, in the area of the brain that deal with fear, emotions and guilt, come to be. They may be brought by upbringing, genetics or a combination of both. The conclusion of the research was that youngsters can be tested for crime prevalence at an exceptionally tender age and thus ‘treated’ against it. How plausible the results are is yet to be proved. Crime and religion Crime issues and occurrence is not recent but way back to the biblical times. Crime is referred to as sin. It’s as old as the period of Adam and Eve. Religions have opposed opinions on crime. These laws may differ from other religions and in some circumstances may also differ from the law. The widely accepted notions of religious morality cause a significant impact on individuals principles of what can be considered criminal or not. Some activities that are accepted by the law as not criminal may be extremely frowned upon by religion and may also be considered criminal in ‘religious law’. Some of these activities are such as abortion and alcohol consumption. In as much as the view of crime on a religious perspective and according to the law may differ, they are also similar in many ways. This is because most of the laws have taken up religious perspectives when it comes to law making. Crime occurs when a law is broken. However, not every time a law is broken a crime is committed. Therefore, the law of a country is what determines what is a crime and what is not. For example, trafficking might be a crime in one state, however, in another state. Some men have been acting in such a manner, and as a result, they draw upon themselves severe repression. The upward rise of the society type affects the level of crime as well that is, the comparison between the crimes that take place all year round and the population. There is no need for us to have a perception such a regression which is substantiated. The reality is that some prefer to take different directions. It 19th Century is the period when we started to go in the direction of crime activities. It has everywhere increased. Due to the fact that crime is classified among normal behaviour among human beings residing in the same area, is not to say that it is entirely unavoidable. Due to the iniquity among men, crime in the society is of utmost importance for healthy and developing societies. The normality in crime is due to the fact that a society that is downright crime free is not possible under any circumstances. Without a doubt, it is no longer feasible today to question the fact that law and morality changes in relation to the societal feature given any variation in life situations. Man is remarkably different from the animal that you liken his existence to. All men are different in that their needs are not dependent on the body only, but they have an awakened reflection that suggests seemingly desirable ends that crave fulfilment (Friedrichs, 2008). Crime and punishment need to be intimately linked. A thought about committing crime should immediately conjure thoughts of the punishment. A delay in punishing crime would only mean that the link between the two is not as strong as would be desired to a lesson to society. Crime has over the years proved to be indispensable. To some extent, crime is a necessity in the society so that the legal systems can evolve. Otherwise, the society would still be living under the old legal rules that were made centuries ago. Crime is an abomination, and it is as a result of pathological features in man. Crime occurs as a result of man’s aspiration to excel above the others. Everyone has needs; the difference arises in how one meets them. In most cases, the needs surpass the resources that are available, and this is what causes other people to indulge in crime. Crime is to be considered a disorder, what then is its cure. The only solution is punishment. Criminals possess some distinct animal characteristics that help them to cope in their activities. In addition to this, they waste tax payers’ money when the government tries to rehabilitate them to no avail. What causes crime? Is it poverty or just moral decadence? Crime rates have been on a steady move upwards since the late 1960s despite the growing levels of education and decrease in the poverty levels. However, a look at the nineteenth century shows that crime was on a decrease despite the fact that people were poorer then. During the acclaimed depression experienced in the 1930s, there was a relatively low level of crime, as compared to today, despite the destitution and high levels of unemployment experienced in those days (Hayes, 2007). A closer look at the events might explain why the crime levels have increased by leaps and bounds since then. In the nineteenth century, the living standards for most people that time were extremely low. However, for a good number of the working class, the living standards were going up. As compared to today, the living standards are by all means higher, but for many people who abide in the poorer regions of society whose, living standards are plummeting. During this period, industrialization was on the fast track upwards. People were therefore, able to secure steady well paying jobs in the up and coming industries. However, in this day and age many people lose their jobs due to failing labour market (Quinney, 2000). This is, in addition to many people, being paid poorly while others are only able to secure part time jobs. At this time, the working class was becoming more and more stable thus; there were fewer turnovers of people living in an area. People knew their neighbours well and worked in the same industry for long periods of time without ever moving. As compared to today, people are mobile thus greater population turnover. This causes many people to live an isolated life, and many do not know their neighbours at all. In the nineteenth century, there was massive expansion of the road and railway networks. This meant that the railways and roads would pass through slums and shanties thus opening up such areas to development and bringing an end to the criminal rookeries located in these areas. Today, criminals create dens in rundown areas, which have been, abandoned and neglected by the criminal justice agencies and social services. During the great depression in the 1930s, there was an extraordinarily high level of unemployment for the working class in society. Unemployment at that time was commonplace, for all and everybody were profoundly affected by the plummet in economic growth (Cohen & Marcus, 2001). However, in totality there was much more solidarity in unemployment and tough times than can be seen today. Everybody was in the same sinking boat which made them stick together. On the other hand, in today’s economic hardships, not everyone feels the effect thus there is general fragmentation of society. Even though, there was still crime in the 1930s, it was surely at a lower level as compared to today. Conclusion Crime can be said to be made or stipulated by the law to be what it is. This varies in different societies and in different countries. A crime happens when one breaks this laws set to govern a place. For any crime committed there is a punishment which in the most severe of crimes may even result into execution to death (Polinsky, 2001). Punishment is there so as to reduce the level of growing crime and to warn the rest of the society if you do the crime you shall surely do the time”. What may be considered criminal according to some laws may not be criminal in others. These can be seen in some countries where abortion may be legal while, in some other countries it is an offence punishable by law. To summarize this, law is the gauge used to decide what is criminal or not. Everyone in society has to play an active role in following the law and bringing an end to crime. References Cohen, L. & Marcus F. (2001). "Social Change and Crime Rate Trends". American Sociological Review (American Sociological Association) 44 (4). Friedrichs, D. (2008). Transnational Crime and Global Criminology. Definitional, Typological, and Contextual Conundrums: Social Justice Vol. 34, No. 2 Hayes, H. (2007). An introduction to crime. Port Melbourne: Pearson Education Australia. Nuno, G., & Klerman, D. (2002). Optimal Law Enforcement. New York: Cengage Learning. Polinsky, A. M. (2000). "Enforcement of Fines". Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. IX, No. 1, (January), pp105–127. Quinney, (2000). “Structural Characteristics States”, The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology and Police Science, 57(1), p. 45-52 Read More