Perceptions and Definitions of Crime and Criminal Activity - Essay Example

Apart from minors, anyone can own a gun. Statistics show that there are 89 guns for 100 Americans. This easy accessibility to guns increases the chances of them being used for criminal activities. Criminals easily get guns makes the country have high rates.

Another reason that contributes to the high crime rates is the nation’s drug policies and sentencing practices. The country focuses more on tough stances which are not effective in solving the crime but rather increase them. It should focus more on prevention and rehabilitation rather than long sentences.

In order to understand criminal behavior, various theories are given. There are sociological theories that propose that crime results from a lack of social norms ( Leon-Guerrero, 2014). Other theories are psychological, physiological, and biological in nature relating to the personality and the makeup of a person.

There exist several models that guide the judicial system towards gaining justice. Hawkins (2006) notes that there is the orthodox social progress model, the society surveillance model, and the radical conflict model. The theories that influence the prison system of today are utilitarian and retributive. While the utilitarian aims to discourage crime by looking forward to the punishment, the retributive focuses on the transgression as the basis of punishment. To decrease crime, better policies that give only as much punishment should be put into place and rehabilitation centers (Leon-Guerrero, 2014).  This will help people such as drug addicts who are more prone to commit crimes. Another way of decreasing crime is by increasing surveillance and training among the crime detection personnel.

1. Assault laws in New Jersey

According to the New Jersey coalition (n.d), aggravated sexual assault is taken to be a crime of first degree. Sexual assault is described to be any unwanted touching of the intimate parts of a person. The law states that there are no time limits for reporting sexual assault cases. The law also states that a person under the influence of alcohol cannot consent to criminal activity. This is because such a person is not in the right mind to make the right decisions.  The industrialized world increases sexual assault because it increases the population of people living along with industries. There are higher employment rates regardless of gender which increases the crime especially if employees are not legally protected. There is also early exposure to guns and crime in the industrialized world which is responsible for the high rates.

Pedophilia is described as a psychosexual disorder that where the victim has sexual fantasies or takes part in sexual acts with prepubescent children (Mental health, 2008). It is increasing because of the change in social norms today that has led to moral decay. There are no strict rules and values that can contribute to moral reasoning. In order to prevent the victimization of children, policies should be put in place to protect them. There should be also increased awareness through campaigns that make the children be aware of their rights in order to identify when they are violated. Protective services towards children should be increased and their parents are made aware through seminars on how they can contribute to ensuring that their children are safe.

1. Environment, war, and terrorism

Social norms and values contribute to a better understanding of what is considered to be a criminal activity.  Criminal activity is seen as a violation of a norm which in this case refers to the law (Leon-Guerrero, 2014). This is because society plays an important role when it comes to law-making. The norms dictate what is fit to be a criminal activity and what cannot be. This is because it defines the extent of a certain act that if surpassed can move to another level and be considered as a crime. The values that society has also can define a crime. For example in the United States life is highly valued and therefore acts of terrorism that destroys one’s life attract serious penalties.  Another example is where in describing pedophilia, the norms come in to define how they perceive the act and to what extent it can be considered as criminal. According to the values of a certain community, destruction of the environment can be considered as the destruction of life and be regarded as a crime.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is vital that each person be informed about what is a crime and what constitutes it. This will lead to everyone participating in preventing it rather than waiting for legal bodies to fight it.