Strain Theory

Rehabilitation is the alternative to punishment but exactly what is rehabilitation? Rehabilitation according to the Encyclopedia of Criminal Justice is defined as, “punishment intended to reform a convict so that she can lead a productive life free from crime,” rehabilitation is successful as long as the criminals are willing to accept the change similarly to the steps taken by alcoholics or drug addicts in rehab. Rehabilitation is a form of punishment but unlike other forms of punishment, rehabilitations objectives are more therapeutic rather than punitive. Rehabilitation is the best option for prisons because there are so many different sub categories that any prisoner willing to change should able to find rehabilitation whether they are

By applying both classical and strain theory to the crime problem of drug trafficking we can identify and compare their strengths to evaluate which theory is more useful in explaining this crime. Starting with Classical theory, this theory holds some strengths in relation to this crime problem, namely, it’s easy applicability/transferability and the clear definiteness of their answers. Classical theory is able to provide definite answers and solutions to drug trafficking (i.e. it was individual A who committed the crime, the law violated in response to this crime is this, and the violation of this law carries the pre-determined punishment of this) without having to apply consideration for such variables as mitigating circumstances since the

In 1995, a very heinous, mysterious crime was committed the murder of two innocent boys by their mother. This crime was thought to be completely unexplainable. This mother convinced America that a black man had stole her car and kidnapped her children. Little did we know this suicidal woman would be capable of committing such a crime. There are many theories that you can apply to this case. However the theory that fits it most closely is the general strain theory.

Exploring the role of negative emotions among murderers in a population of federal offenders: the General Strain Theory

Despite criminology theories claiming that they are gender and race neutral we still see disparities in incarceration rates on a racial divide. Why do we see rising rates incarceration rates in Hispanics and African Americans representing over 50% of those rates? Is there a theory out there than can explain this occurrence in the criminal justice system? The intent of this paper is to explain why this disparity occurs using the General Strain Theory. I also intend to explain why Social Disorganization fails in explaining the racial gap in offending. Both of these theories encounter the issue of failing to fully explain why certain racial or ethnic groups are incarcerated more than other, however, due to empirical evidence it’s clear to see

Classic Strain Theory, as introduced and defined by Robert Merton, is a Social Structure Theory used to help explain the effect one’s community, most notably lower class areas, has on their ability to achieve predetermined goals, usually considered culturally normal. Merton theorized that all people in a various culture and social structure have similar values, goals, and norms. He stated that within this social structure there are individuals who come from affluent upbringing and are therefore more likely achieve these goals, and most likely this will be attained through legitimate, culturally acceptable means. There are however, Merton said, lower class areas where individuals suffer from lack of educational and economic opportunities

Researchers are constantly looking for explanations for criminal patterns and crime rates among juveniles. They have presented many theories to serve as such explanations with strain theory being one of them; however, like many other theories, strain theory was pushed aside decades ago. It was not until recently that this theory was given new life by criminologist, Robert Agnew. Robert Agnew introduced this new development as the general strain theory. GST was the first supposition that was not tied to social class or cultural variables as it was in previous implications of Émile Durkheim’s anomie theory. Instead, Agnew’s theory refocused on societal norms that affect juveniles.

Prostitution has always been a worldwide problem especially in Chicago, Illinois. The exploitation of prostitution seems to be one of many serious issues in inner-city Chicago. Some may ask the question as to “what changes occur in a woman’s life to make her want to live this type of lifestyle?” Are prostitutes always the victim or do some control their work, and even enjoy sex? After experiencing human trafficking, drug addiction, and prostitution for 25 years of her teenage and adult life, Brenda Myers-Powell’s life story answered those questions. She survived the harsh lifestyle of prostitution and serves as a mentor to the youth to prevent them from encountering the trauma she did for many years of her life.

Despite Differential Association being a better predictor for youth crime than the Labelling Theory, the acquisition of new counteracting behaviours can override delinquent behaviours possibly arising from rehabilitating means. Additionally, data that supports Differential Association is often based on self-reports by adolescents and this can often skew results. This is because individuals, especially young people, may not have an accurate judgement of what is classified as deviancy, thus either over or under exaggerating the level of illegal behaviour among their peers (Crosnoe, Dornsbusch and Erickson, 2000). Similarly, unlike The General Strain Theory, this model of youth crime lacks the ability to be tested and to predict whether an individual

Opponents of legalization, contend that that prostitution is “a degrading and abusive practice that fosters crime, exposes prostitute to violence, and increases the spread of sexually transmitted diseases” (“Prostitution”). Some maintain that prostitution is not a victimless crime, and it damages women emotionally and physically; for example, street prostitutes experience high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder that are comparable to those among rape survivors, battered women, and survivors of torture, and have high rates of anxiety and depression. They also claim that there is no evidence to support the claim that legalizing prostitution would reduce the prevalence of assault; some analysts even claim that prostitution may foster attitudes that contribute to violence against women (“Prostitution”). The Coalition against Trafficking in Women claims that “prostitution affects all women, justifies the sale of any woman, and reduce all women to sex”,

Prostitution can be referred to as the act of engaging in sexual behavior or activity with another person in exchange for compensation which can either be inform of money or other valuable goods and services. According to Love (2015), it is nearly impossible to know an exact number of women who engage in prostitution since the only figures available come from the ones arrested by the police. Such numbers are considered to be too low as they do not capture the sex workers who have not been arrested. Street level prostitution is considered illegal and charged as a crime in many countries because it takes place in the open streets in major towns, cities and urban centers. The term street level is self-explanatory in that it explains the term street-level prostitution as the one taking place in the streets rather than secluded places such as brothels. Romero-Daza, Weeks, & Singer (2003) points out that most of the past research has focused on looking at prostitution as an adverse effect which brings negative impacts to the social fabric of the society as well as bringing adverse effects on the health and well-being of the community at large. The paper below will focus on looking at the concept of street-level prostitution under the structural functionalism theory by reviewing the literature and making an analysis in the end.

Women made vulnerable by poverty are most susceptible to the sex industry because they lack the resources, the education, and the economic alternatives to pursue other work possibilities. The lack of education diminishes women’s potential to gain paid employment, and desperately consent to prostitution as their survival strategy.

Prostitution is a profession that has been around for thousands of years despite being a controversial topic in many parts of the world. In the modern world, the ethics of prostitution have been debated with many people viewing the profession as immoral. Prostitution is an exploitative and harmful profession for the sex workers. Since women account for a majority of those who engage in prostitution, these negative impacts affect women more. Also, prostitution is a gendered institution that strengthens and

There are many cases as to why people get into prostitution. One of the most common reasons women decide to become a sex worker is usually to help pay for schooling, or other financial debt. Here in California minimum wage is now about ten dollars an hour which is not nearly enough money to support oneself, let alone pay for college loans. In an AlterNet article Celine Bisette talks about how people let ignorance get the best of them as they assume her being a prostitute is a product of sexual abuse. Celine states,” The reality is that I had a happy childhood that was completely devoid of abuse of any kind. I grew up in a very ordinary middle class family. My parents cooked dinner for me every night, helped me with my homework, and told me they loved me every single day.” When people make judgements about why sex workers are doing what they are doing it puts these workers in an uncomfortable position, making them regretful and embarrassed about a job that they like doing.

A major concern with prostitution and sex trafficking is a negative trend that occurs with the health of women. One significant aspect is the deteriorating emotional well-being of former and current prostitutes. Both forced and voluntary prostitutes experience trauma that affects their mental health. An investigation done by U.S. Branch of Well-being and Human Administration's national symposium analyzes the impacts' prostitution has on women. The outcomes resulted in the pervasiveness of PTSD,