Social Disorganization Theory And Crime

Social disorganization theory directly links crime rates to neighbourhood environmental characteristics. The core principle of understanding this theory is knowing that location matters, and it is a substantial factor that will shape the likelihood of an individual involving themselves in illegal or deviant activities. (Lily et al. 2015) This theory suggests that youths from disadvantaged neighbourhoods participate in a subculture that approves delinquent behaviours. It validates how low levels of social control produced by the socio-economic status of the neighbourhood can influence individuals into misconduct and corruption. Burgess created a concentric zone theory that states most crime occurs in a specific zone because it is where immigrants
It argues that “casual analysis should commence not with offenders and their environs but rather with the societal reaction that other people – including state officials – have towards offenders” (Lily et al. 2015) Once a person is labelled deviant, it is difficult to stray from that label once It has been demonstrated. In lecture, Maurutto stated that “what makes an act criminal is not the harm, but whether the state deems it to be criminal” (Maurutto 2017) It is the nature of society that determines if something is unfit, and that increases or declines over time since people are everchanging, and depends on the different types of society. Labels can be influenced by the individual characteristics such as gender, race, and their socio-economic status. Labelling theory examines that if one is to continue to place labels and treat wrongdoers as criminals, it will likely encourage that behaviour the state is trying to prevent, causing a negative reaction. Since these labels have such an intense factor to outsiders, the intensity only increases within the individual. They tend to believe their labels and feel as if they must live up to that name, that has now been attached to themselves. When labelling someone as a criminal in a society, it will lead citizens to make assumptions about offenders that may not be entirely accurate. (Lily et al. 2015) This shapes how society treats offenders and the result will only cause further criminal activity. (Maurutto 2017) There are many individuals that can deviate from society, but it is only if they are caught by authorities that they will deal with the backlash of having a label. If they commit a crime and do not get caught, then there is no label. However, if they do get caught, the individual will be labelled and eventually rejected from society which follows with being degraded and stigmatized from the social order. (Maurutto