Personal and Criminological Theory

The human brain is very unique and it functions in many ways, giving individuals the power to think, speak, plan, and imagine. However, when individuals commit crimes, the criminal justice system and scientist study that behavior to learn the causes of crime. The needs and motivations of individuals who engage in crime differ based on biological origins, psychological, or socially induced. History has shown that by applying theory it allows researchers to discern why individuals react the way they do to certain conditions. In this paper, I will explain what I believe are the occurrences of crimes and why people commit them. I will also illuminate the variables associated with crime, identify reasons concerning the circumstances and explain techniques used when evaluating the criminal behavior. When situations change it becomes an issue for individuals to adjust. Society categorizes and divided individuals based on race, gender, family, and ultimately the amount of economic resources they have. Society usually divides people into upper class, the middle-class, the working class, and the underclass. The amount of accumulated wealth or property that an individual owns determines the assignment to any class or group. The upper class consists of well to do families that maintain an enormous amount of financial and social resources, but the poor consist of people living in poverty. Depending upon the opportunities available to individuals can affect the individual’s chances in life. Crime occurs and it includes acts such as murder, rape assault, and theft. Individuals commit crime for several reasons, mental disorders, income, education, and economic factors, or a combination of them all. The disproportion of goods for all members of society negates the defined goals and the norms that regulate the means to achieve the American dream. Goals are the valued purposes and interest that America holds as legitimate objectives for all members within its society. When disruption occurs and the social norms and conditions in which those norms no longer control the activity of society members the anomie and strain theory becomes a factor in why individuals commit crime (Williams & McShane, 2009, p. 77). The anomie and strain theory suggest that when there is a disjunction between means and goals individuals frustration and sense of injustice result from experiencing socially structured incapacities (Williams & McShane, 2009, p. 80). For example, discrimination by social class or racial discrimination in education and employment makes access to institutionalized means of achieving success difficult. I think this is a good theory because of the variables considered to uphold the theory are individuals environment, education, family, peers, structure, media, drugs, and alcohol. The blocked opportunities to maintain social status creates new opportunities for crime. Individuals, who believe that there is an injustice in the conditions to which they are to live within will not respect the norms of society and will conform to a way of self indulgence. If the measurement of success is through material gain, it is only natural for people to pursue the American Dream by trying to accumulate property and economic prosperity. However, unequal access to legitimate economic structures is a source of intense strain, rage, and anger for Americans. Criminal behavior is a response from those whom society has failed to provide legitimate access to achieving that American Dream (Williams & McShane, 2009, p. 82). A variety of methods are available to the criminal justice researcher. Each method has strengths and weaknesses. However, in the hypothetical study concerning the unequal access to opportunities to pursue the American Dream, surveying individuals is an appropriate method for collecting data. With quantitative and qualitative studies in the form of questionnaires and interviews as well as field research and historical research this can help in drawing conclusions concerning the disproportionate of opportunities available to society and reasons behind criminal behavior (Kraska & Neuman, 2008, p. 2). In conclusion, when individuals commit crimes, the criminal justice system and scientist study that behavior to learn the causes of crime. Society categorizes and divided individuals based on race, gender, family, and ultimately the amount of economic resources they have. The amount of accumulated wealth or property that an individual owns determines the assignment to any class or group. Depending upon the opportunities available to individuals can affect the individual’s chances in life. Individuals commit crime for several reasons, mental disorders, income, education, and economic factors, or a combination of them all. The anomie and strain theory suggest that when there is a disjunction between means and goals individuals frustration and sense of injustice result from experiencing socially structured incapacities (Williams & McShane, 2009, p. 80). I think this is a good theory because of the variables considered to uphold the theory are individuals environment, education, family, peers, structure, media, drugs, and alcohol. Individuals, who believe that there is an injustice in the conditions to which they are to live within will not respect the norms of society and will conform to a way of self indulgence. However, unequal access to legitimate economic structures is a source of intense strain, rage, and anger for Americans. With quantitative and qualitative studies this can help in drawing conclusions concerning the disproportionate of opportunities available to the Americans and reasons behind criminal behavior.