Criminology Psychological Theories Essay - 1981 Words

Social Psychology is a field that attempts understated how thoughts, behavior and feelings are influenced by the implied presence, actual or imagined presence of others. Social influence involves the exercise of social power by a person or a group to change the altitudes or behaviour of others in a particular direction. Social power refers t o the â€Å"force available to the influencer to motivate change† (Allport, 1985). Young people are more prone to social influence due to need for conformity with their peers. This makes many teenagers in United Kingdom to indulge in criminal and deviant behaviours, which is closely associated with drug use and gang crimes. We can therefore argue that some emotional, psychological and biological†¦show more content†¦Criminologists have argued that the main drive for crime is usually to obtain money for crime. Gang violence is impulsive and emotional hence it comes in spurts. Its typically involves defence for gang members reputations. Spurts usually are not citywide but occur in specific neighbourhoods during period of intense competition over expansion or defence of territories. These territories are usually traditional gang turf or entrepreneurially drug market (Howell, 1997). Violence often takes the form of boundary disputes. The dangerous areas are along disputed boundaries where a drug hot spot intersects with a turf hot spot. There are also routes which members of rival groups travel in search of potential victims. Gangs because of the violent nature of their vocation, gang members are heavily armed, dangerous and more violent than none members. It is not a surprise that most of arrestees who own a gun confess to belong to a gang. Since violence is the core fact of gang formation and life; it is what allows gang to spread from one neighbourhood to another. Gang members always feel threatened by other gangs and are wary of encroachments on their turf. It is not surprising that gangs try to recruit those youths â€Å"who are already gunShow MoreRelatedThe Criminal Justice System1700 Words   |  7 Pagesoffenders engage in criminal behaviour. In the 18th century criminologists such as Jeremy Bentham, Cesare Bonesana-Beccaria and Cesare Lombroso all established criminological theories, in an attempt to achieve this goal. The most influential theories are known as the Classical and Positivist perspectives. Both of these theories have had a long-term influence on the current Criminal Justice System. Which were so significant throughout the 20th and 21st century because they introduced effective new strategiesRead MoreThe Various Theories of Criminology 1276 Words   |  5 PagesCriminology is defined as an interdisciplinary profession built around the scientific study of crime and criminal behavior including their forms, causes, legal aspects, and control. There are many aspects in the field of criminology. These aspects include the areas of research involved, the criminology schools of thought, theoretical developments and the people involved in creating and developing the theories. What role do criminologists play in the field of criminology? The term criminologistRead MoreCriminology Theories1039 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Criminology† is the study of crime from a social perspective by researching the nature and management of crime and the social impact of crime on society involving the causes and consequences behind the matter. This is a generalised explanation of what â€Å"Criminology† involves as it is too difficult to create an exact definition because the topic is so complex from continuous growing historical roots and evolving theories which will be explored within the main body of this essay. It is said by SutherlandRead MoreClassical, Biological And Psychological Theories901 Words   |  4 Pages Early classical, biological and psychological theories have helped shape the burgeoning world of criminology. Many of the ideas they held were unique, however, some key principles are still in use by there modern counterparts. Classical psychological theories, focused on two main concepts; personality and behaviorism. Personality theories helped improve cognitive sciences and behaviorism called attention to social learning with a focus on behavioral conditioning. For example, Ivan Pavlov, a prominentRead MoreCrime and Forensic Psychology1117 Words   |  5 Pagesversion of crime. The public’s knowledge may be particularly lacking with regard to the entire field of criminology, the differences between blue-collar and white-collar crime, and the general perception of the incidence of crime in the United States. You are asked, as the public relations representative of your police department, to provide an information session on the field of criminology.  The expectation is to make sure the public understands the facts of law enforcement and to differentiateRead MoreEssay about Criminological Theories1544 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent theories of crime and how they affect the criminal justice system. The Classical School of criminology is a theory about evolving from a capital punishment type of view to more humane ways of punishing people. Positivist criminology is maintaining the control of human behavior and criminal behavior. They did this through three different categories of Biological studies, which are five methodologies of crime that were mainly focused on biological theories, Psychological theories, which containsRead MoreRational Choice vs. Trait Theory Essay1492 Words   |  6 PagesRational Choice Theory VS. Trait Theory Student Name Criminology : Park University Online Program In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the Rational Choice Theory(s) and the Trait Theory(s). We will start with the history of the two theories and progress toward some of the individual principles in the theories. Next step will be explaining how each theory contributes to criminal behavior. My closing paragraph will concludeRead MoreCrime And Crime : Criminology And Criminology1211 Words   |  5 Pages Crime choice theory, often referred to as environmental criminology or ecological criminology, is a branch of criminology that was supposedly started by the classical school’s Cesare Beccaria. As with many theories, it has evolved with time, but the basics of it have stayed much the same throughout time. Crime choice theory can relate through other theories such as; routine activity theory, environmental criminology, situational crime prevention and crime prevention through environmental designRead MoreFour Theories Of Criminology : Seminole State College974 Wor ds   |  4 PagesFour Theories of Criminology Kendy Menelas Seminole State College Author Note Kendy Menelas, Department of English, Seminole State College This research was supported in part by the Federal Pell grant Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kendy Menelas, Department of English, Seminole State College, Sanford, FL 32773. Contact: kendym@live.seminolestate.edu â€Æ' Abstract This paper summarizes four theories of criminology. Rational choice theory states that criminals act basedRead MoreFunctionalist Criminology And Positivist Criminology Essay1525 Words   |  7 PagesEvaluation of Classicism and Positivism are two theories that assess the mind and different approaches to human nature; classicist is a rational act and liberty. This method was industrialized between the 18th and 19th Century, it was created in order to process the criminal justice system and make sure everyone was treated equally (Classical Criminology is connected with Cesare Bonesana , Marchese de Beccaria). Positivism Criminology Is a an theory that is established by the concept of scientific