Cjs 200 Criminal Acts And Choice Theories Response Research Paper
Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response
Stephanie Bangerter
CJS 200
April 7, 2014
Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response
The two criminology models that best suits the basic knowledge of law in this country is the classical and neoclassical criminological theories. The classical theory makes basic assumptions such as:
• “Crime is caused by the individual exercise of free will. Human beings are fundamentally rational, and most human behavior is the result of free will coupled with rational choice.” (Schmalleger. 2011. P.81)
• “Pain and pleasure are the two central determinants of human behavior.”(Schmalleger. 2011. P.81)
• “Crime erodes the bond that exists between individuals and society and is therefore an immoral form of behavior.” (Schmalleger. 2011. p.81)
• “Punishment, a necessary evil, is sometimes required to deter law violators from repeating their crime and to serve as an example to others who would also violate the law.” (Schmalleger. 2011. P.81)
• “Crime prevention is possible through swift and certain punishment that offsets any gains to be had through criminal behavior.” (Schmalleger. 2011. p.81) …show more content…
The second model is the neoclassical criminology theory which encompasses the rational choice theory.
The rational choice theory is a logically consistent model that claims that a criminal will make a conscious choice to commit a crime, but only if the benefit of committing the crime outweighs the cost. I believe in some cases that criminals are a product of their environment and some criminals are even created due to mental illness. But I mostly believe in the choice theory. From the time we are born, we are taught the difference between right and wrong. Parents, relatives, and other authoritative figures in our lives play a direct role in the path to becoming an adult. These same people are a part of what we consider
“society”.
Choice theory has a direct relationship with crime. A criminal’s conscious choice to deviate from what society has deemed normal acceptable behavior. The choices criminals make directly involve same said members of society whether they become victims of their choice or they are affected by having to serve jury duty, missing time at work because of their choice. But ultimately everyone is affected when our tax dollars has to pay to house, feed, and clothe these criminals when they are sent to jail or prison.
References
Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century (11th ed.). : Prentice Hall.
Stephanie Bangerter
CJS 200
April 7, 2014
Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response
The two criminology models that best suits the basic knowledge of law in this country is the classical and neoclassical criminological theories. The classical theory makes basic assumptions such as:
• “Crime is caused by the individual exercise of free will. Human beings are fundamentally rational, and most human behavior is the result of free will coupled with rational choice.” (Schmalleger. 2011. P.81)
• “Pain and pleasure are the two central determinants of human behavior.”(Schmalleger. 2011. P.81)
• “Crime erodes the bond that exists between individuals and society and is therefore an immoral form of behavior.” (Schmalleger. 2011. p.81)
• “Punishment, a necessary evil, is sometimes required to deter law violators from repeating their crime and to serve as an example to others who would also violate the law.” (Schmalleger. 2011. P.81)
• “Crime prevention is possible through swift and certain punishment that offsets any gains to be had through criminal behavior.” (Schmalleger. 2011. p.81) …show more content…
The second model is the neoclassical criminology theory which encompasses the rational choice theory.
The rational choice theory is a logically consistent model that claims that a criminal will make a conscious choice to commit a crime, but only if the benefit of committing the crime outweighs the cost. I believe in some cases that criminals are a product of their environment and some criminals are even created due to mental illness. But I mostly believe in the choice theory. From the time we are born, we are taught the difference between right and wrong. Parents, relatives, and other authoritative figures in our lives play a direct role in the path to becoming an adult. These same people are a part of what we consider
“society”.
Choice theory has a direct relationship with crime. A criminal’s conscious choice to deviate from what society has deemed normal acceptable behavior. The choices criminals make directly involve same said members of society whether they become victims of their choice or they are affected by having to serve jury duty, missing time at work because of their choice. But ultimately everyone is affected when our tax dollars has to pay to house, feed, and clothe these criminals when they are sent to jail or prison.
References
Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century (11th ed.). : Prentice Hall.