Publication Two Theories White Collar Crime

For many years, there has been many people, now called criminologist, creating theories to explain criminality. These theories are reasons or explanation of why people do the things they do, whether it is behaving or engaging in criminal behavior. Some of these critics gave explanations ranging from demonic possession to the area they were raised up in. There several theories to explain the reason people are victimized and the role they play in crime. There are other criminologists that believe that certain areas that are bad is the reason for the certain behaviors and crimes; meaning it is not the person that is bad.

Criminologists studying the social structure, which is the characteristics and features in the different communities, began to realize that these are the factors contributing to crime and delinquency. Living in areas that area low income or in other words “poor”, there can be several thing bad outcomes. Some of the people can affect by their surrounding and sometimes it can be the people that are around.

Since these are low income areas, in most cases lack resources and social support that can be beneficial to the children growing up in the environment. After theorists examined and investigated the social structure in the low, middle, upper classes, they came to a conclusion that each environment was different, and each had different levels of crime occurring.

Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay then developed the social disorganization theory, which is focused solely on urban area’s crime and victimization. This theory is was in the Chicago School that focused on the wrongdoing specifically in neighborhoods.

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Shaw and McKay trusted that the region in which person lived in had a great effect on whether they were probably going to execute a crime or engage into delinquent behavior. Within their examination, they saw that specific ethnic groups, specifically the minorities, demonstrated more crimes. For instance, kids living in zones of poverty were bound to perpetrate wrongdoings, yet those in regions encompass by working class and higher have a lower possibility of carrying out hardly any crimes.

The two theorists studied the crime and delinquency based on the police reports. They also used the data gathered by social services, schools, and juvenile justice agencies. Shaw and McKay used the concentric zone maps, which was the context that showed the relationship between the social problems. Each zone in the city of Chicago showed different problems that were obvious. They noticed more they moved out the social problems were reduced, and they believed that these problems occurred because of poverty. The people living in poverty areas shared characteristics like a big number may not have a job, they neighborhood looked bad, and they many of them were a part of a gang.

Lack of certain resources can take an emotional tole on a person that can cause them to seek for not only financial support but also that emotional support. In addition to having an emotional tole, in most low-income areas there are single parent homes. These single parent homes more than likely have children that are home alone most of the time and they may begin to go out a look for the attention they are not getting at home. Gangs will more than likely be the source of attention because the individual will feel accepted. This is also were they will learn the criminal/deviant behavior because in their eyes the gang leaders were a role model and the who they looked up to. Communities that are socially disorganized are unable to make their residents abide by the law.

Shaw and McKay also learned that zone two is the one the that possessed each of these characteristics and was not any opportunity structure. They also discovered that many of the immigrant children showed a lack of attachment to the way their parents think. These children were so attached to the way things were before, so they had a hard time trying to convert. Some of the children acted out as a reaction of embarrassment of their parents. (Williams and McShane, 1999)

The Differential Association Theory is created by Edwin Sutherland. He argued that much like behavior is learned, crime is also learned as result of associating or interacting with others. His theory was influence by many factors such as culture conflict, social disorganization and cultural transmission of deviance. The differential association theory was used to explain the committed by the wealthy and the poor. In fact, Sutherland developed the first theory that talked about white collar crime, which is the nonviolent crimes committed by a person high in class as it related to his or her occupation. White collar crimes are financially motivated and often committed by people in the government and businesses. Some people thought of criminals thought to different from the people living by the law; they were thought of as people with biological issues. Sutherland then argued that crime does not come from genetics or it was not passed down, but in fact it was learned from intimate people that the criminals had close relationships with.

This theory was created based on the three observations, the Great Depression, Prohibition, and known criminals. While observing the Great Depression he noticed the people in authority began to take advantage of their positions. Sutherland noticed this group was doing this to make sure they maintain their lifestyle. In the second observation, there were many opportunities for people to sell alcohol illegally. He noticed the poor people was more attracted to committing crime because it granted economic opportunities for many deprived of their right as well as those who had never been categorized as a criminal before. He also argued the people had to decide whether or not they were going to engage in the criminal acts or in other word violate society’s rules. Third observation was fulfilled as Sutherland took time to shadow a criminal by the name of Chic Conwell, who assured him that the criminal behavior was learned much like any other.

Once he completed his observations, he then created nine propositions. The started these by saying the criminal behavior is not biological or psychologically passed down, instead it is learned. The behavior is indeed learned through communication and personal interactions with others. He did not believe the behavior was learn through the media and what is seen on television but rather within groups. He also proposed that one must master committing the crime, which take time to learn the techniques.

Sutherland gave the idea that each criminal must have motives and make decision whether the crime is worth the consequences. Sutherland suggested that people are more likely to break the law if the incentives are greater. The process of learning criminal behavior involves frequency, intensity, priority, and duration, which will more than like come from the person that is more loyal. He also stated the way criminals behave is much like the behavior of the law-abiding citizens. These propositions were concluded by explaining criminal behavior is conducted based on needs and values.

Of these nine propositions the most important deals with one wanting to be accepted. As a child, acceptance is very important especially in areas of poverty. Many children in these areas do not have everything they may desire, such as attention and full-time parents, so when there are opportunities to gain acceptance, they will take it. These individuals are willing to do whatever even if it means committing a crime and possibly risking their freedom. There are also people that feel as if they have no other choice because they have to provide and survive.

Sutherland created a theory that caused a shift in the way people were thinking of crime. The differential association theory allows one to move from believing that crime come biological and psychological factor to helping them understand that it come from the environmental factor instead. This theory connects crime directly to socialization, meaning it is learned from the people one is in direct contact with. He realized this after noticing the people living in the similar areas had similar structural conditions which also those more than likely committing crimes. In addition to that Sutherland also addressed white collar crimes the motives behind the acts.

Social disorganization theory and the Differential Association Theory are two theories that explain crime from two different point of views. The social disorganization theory puts forth the thought that crime is caused because of the are one is living in. In the communities that are disorganized they tend to have some social isolation, which causes those that are less fortunate to wonder off and eventually engage in different types of behavior to feel accepted. These behaviors can be prevented if there were more programs to keep each person in the community occupied.

After many years of thinking biological features were the cause of criminal behavior three theorists came up with the idea of crime being causes by environment factors. The social disorganization theory also ties into the differential association theory because it says the behavior is basically learned because of social problems. Differential Association theory indicts that the behavior is learned from someone that is more than likely close in relation. It does not necessarily have to be a family member. Sutherland also gave valid reasons as to why people commit crimes. Some people do it because the benefits outweigh the circumstances that they are going through. These two theories are closely related because in a way they both said the criminal and delinquent behavior is learn in the neighborhoods where one is depending time with certain individuals.