Factors influencing likelihood of crime
Who is likely to commit crime?
When a person has failed to perform his duties properly and infringed the rules of the society, held liable for committing crime. Crime is an offence punishable under law (Norrie, 2014). It is a universal thing and every country is affected by several anti-social activities. It is a common nature of the human being. However, the criminologists have made an attempt to discover that who is likely to commit crime and why. In this process, they are following the sociological theories and include the things like gender, age, class, race and ethnicity of the criminals.
It can be observed from the facts and records that males have more inclination towards crime than the females. It has been revealed from the crime report in 2015 that about 81% males have been arrested where the crime rate in case of women are 63%. The reason is contradictory in nature. Some criminologists are of the view that biological differences make the change, where others are concentrating on the sociological factors. According to Lindsey (2011), the parents are bringing up their daughters more delinquently compare to their sons and this socialization assist to change the mentality of the boys. It has been pointed out by the researchers that the boys are allowed to do late night parties and in this process, they got more chances to involve with the crimes (Campos, 2015).
Age is another reason for committing crime. It has been highlighted by various reports that the people of 15 years to 24 years have the criminal tendency and about 40% crime has been committed in that years. The main reason that has been cultivated in this behalf is lack of job security. The younger generations are suffering from higher level of job insecurity which makes them aggressive and more prone to do illegal activities.
The class differences can be held liable for the commission of crime. According to the Paul Wilson (1967), the poor classes are more liable to commit crime than the rich class and they have to face more social bias compare to the rich people as well. Poverty helps to gain more anger and frustration among them and they commit crime to fulfil their needs. Apart from that, the process of poor parenting helps to instigate the children to show much anger and they are engaging them in the anti-social jobs (Bisogno, Dawson-Faber & Jandl, 2015). However, it can be stated that the crime committed by the rich people are much harmful than the poor people to certain extent. For instance, simple stealing or pick pocketing is less harmful comparing to the white collar crime.
Gender differences in crime
Prostitution is regarded as the social crime and it has been observed that this crime is a direct threat to the human rights and snatch the right to freedom from the people especially women. Many steps have been taken to stop the crime, but all in vain. However, there are certain reasons that have led to the causes of prostitution. In the words of Barbara Brents and Kathryn Hausbeck, the street prostitutes have to face more dilemma and physical violence than that of the licensed prostitutes (Brents, 2016). According to Sherry Colb, prostitution helps to increase the scope of the victimless crime as the women are continuing the flesh trade with their own volition (Colb & Dorf, 2016). There are certain theoretical perspectives that can better explain the reasons for the existence of prostitution. The first reason is that this profession provides good income structure to the prostitutes and helps the men to fulfil their sexual desire (McKenzie, 2017). Kingsley Davis advocates that the prostitution rate helps to reduce the tendency to get divorced and those men who are not satisfied with their partners are getting the advantages from the profession (Hamdan, 2014). The behavioural understanding in between the prostitutes and their customers help them to run the business properly. Poverty can be regarded as one of the main reasons for the increment tendency of prostitution as there is a huge scope for the prostitutes to earn more money. Trafficking can also led the chances of prostitution and it has been observed that most of the trafficked girls are transporting to the brothels and involved as a sex slave (Schetky & Green, 2014). The lazy mentality of the teenagers is also responsible for the existence of the prostitution as they want to earn money without doing hard work. If a child could not get proper guidance in their childhood, they may get involved in the flesh trade business.
It is very difficult to eradicate this business from the society of USA as there are certain pros and cons of this business. According to Sherry Colb, the acts of the prostitutes cannot be regarded as harmful act and it gives birth of victimless crime (Colb & Dorf, 2016). The root of the business has been lying under the society and it is to be mentioned that until certain social problems cannot be erased from the society, it will be difficult to eradicate the business. Poverty and joblessness can be considered as the reasons for the prostitutions. The traffickers are targeting the girls of poor classes and transported them to the brothels. Likewise, the unemployed girls are opting for the business as there is a scope to earn good money in this business. In the words of Veronica Montel (1994), the sex traders are engaging into the business at their will and therefore, it becomes impossible for the police to mark the prostitutes as the victim or sex slave. In Nevada, the sex traders are getting social rights and legal licences. These acts are making the eradication process difficult.
Age and job security
The addiction of drugs and alcohol among the teenagers are considered as one of the main problems in the American society and exposing the dark side of addiction and the society (Greene, 2014). The chronic use of alcohol will help to increase the rate of injuries and accidents. The intoxicated persons are most often engaged into certain aggressive activities. The excessive use of alcohol affects on both the individual and the society (Flak et al., 2014). Alcohol harms various body parts of the individual and causes mental confusions and kidney problems. Likewise, it affects the society as well. It has been reported that the drowsiness slower the rate of consciousness and the intoxicated person could not control his emotions (Butcher, Hooley & Mineka, 2015). It increases the possibility of accidents and directly affects the society. Alcohol is the most common drug used among the teenagers and they become addicted to it. The society becomes affected by it. Therefore, it can be observed that the effect of alcohol is negative in nature.
It has been reported that the alcohol creates harmful effect on the individual, friends, family and the society. Increment in the rate of accidents directly affects the society and certain violence has also been done by the intoxicated persons (Esser et al., 2014). It was reported that criminal mentality can be seen among the intoxicated people much as they do not able to control their aggression. On this context, alcohol is regarded as social problem.
Reference:
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Butcher, J. N., Hooley, J. M., & Mineka, S. M. (2015). Abnormal psychology. Pearson Higher Ed.
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Esser, M. B., Hedden, S. L., Kanny, D., Brewer, R. D., Gfroerer, J. C., & Naimi, T. S. (2014). Peer Reviewed: Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence Among US Adult Drinkers, 2009–2011. Preventing chronic disease, 11.
Flak, A. L., Su, S., Bertrand, J., Denny, C. H., Kesmodel, U. S., & Cogswell, M. E. (2014). The association of mild, moderate, and binge prenatal alcohol exposure and child neuropsychological outcomes: a meta?analysis. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 38(1), 214-226.
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Schetky, D. H., & Green, A. H. (2014). Child Sexual Abuse: A Handbook For Health Care And Legal Professions. Routledge.
Wilson, P. E. (1967). New Bottles for Old Wine: Criminal Law Revision in Kansas. U. Kan. L. Rev., 16, 585.
Brents, B. G. (2016). Nevada’s Regulated Brothels. The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Prostitution.
Colb, S. F., & Dorf, M. C. (2016). Beating Hearts: Abortion and Animal Rights. Columbia University Press.
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