Criminology 101 - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages (Longshore, Turner, and Stein 1998). The general theory of crime presupposes that while an individual's personality, that is, their ability to exercise self control remains stabilized but the crime level continues to change. Sampson and Laub however, posit that their age graded life course perspective demonstrates that an individual's behavior changes also as a result of social circumstance. Further, they posit that it is the changes within the life course and not necessarily self control that will mandate the level of crimes that a person may or may not commit.
Accordingly, the presented assertions offers various theories in regards to what will constitute a likely offender. All of this notwithstanding there is a shared common denominator as per causal process:for Gottfredson and Hirschi, it is succinctly defined as the emotional investment of the parents. Meaning, if the parents have emotionally provided for their child, then it would follow that the child is able to show and demonstrate self control; for Sampson and Laub, it is the emotional attachment of a prior offender to a place of employment of a relationship of status such as marriage that ultimately paves the way to desistance. This similarity allows them to be linked using a psychological theory of deviance called attachment theory.
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It is also generally understood that we are all exposed to different experiences in our lifetime, some positive and others horrendous. Nobody processes or internalizes their experiences in the same way. What is harmful or traumatizing to one person is not necessarily so for another. As a result, our future behaviors may or may not be influenced by our past and our interpretation of it. As a result it cannot be said that a single theory can explain any crime that we may commit. To say that a single theory can explain every crime is to also say that a single theory defines all human nature. Because it is already known that no two people are the same, no single theory can be employed to explain their behavior good or bad. Accordingly, I don't agree that there is any general theory of crime.
For the past ten years, there has been a myriad of reports on boot camps in the United States. These are commonly known as "shock camps". The purpose of these camps was to literally start a "get tough program which was military based. The camps include extreme physical labor, drills and a military schedule which is highly structured. The military shock camp started in the southern part of the United States and was applied to male prisoners. It is now used in the juvenile system as well. The Canadian system was created to introduce what is perceived as the best part of the Canadian military system along with the youth programs that Canada has designed. The hope is that the determination and behavior of the youth will lead to him being promoted. The reward of a promotion progresses into a desire to succeed on the outside world and the structure that boot camp offers allows the offender to graduate the program with a discipline ...Download file to see next pagesRead More