Examining why people commit crime is an essential aspect of the law in understanding the mechanisms that should have been applied in handling or preventing crime. The reason why people commit crimes is an ongoing debate in the modern world. In an attempt to understand a crime, the application of different theories is essential. Classical school crime theory indicates that criminals are rational beings, and they commit crime as the alternative rationale approach. Social structural theory associates the occurrence of crime with economic factors that divide people according to social classes. Social processes explain the view that crime occurs as a result of the socialization processes experienced by people through the socialization process. Social process theory is the dominant theory in explaining the case involving the shooting and killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
Summary of the Case
The case, "Men accused in Ahmaud Arbery shooting hire attorneys," in CBS news involves two men, a father and son accused of assaulting and murder of a 25-year-old man Ahmaud Arbery for alleged robbery and possession of firearms. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation examined the occurrence of the crime to provide a basis for ruling and judging of the McMichaeles. The case reveals that a combination of theories should be applied to understand the origin of the crime.
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Application of Theories
Classical School Theory of Criminology
The occurrence of the case can be explained through the application of the classical school theory of criminology. According to Paternoster & Fisher (2017), the classical school criminology theory assumes that people have a free will to commit a crime or not to engage in criminal activities. People usually have a desire that they need to fulfill in life. These desires act as the driving force for people to choose to commit crimes. The fact that Ahmaud Arbery was in the street for the McMichaels triggered the action by the McMichaels to engage in shooting activity that ended in a murder case. Free will to shoot Arbery reflects through the aspect that the father and the son chose to shoot and murder the suspect freely without any activity that compelled them to engage in such activities.
The concept of the human rights concept of class school of criminology is also applicable in explaining the occurrence of the murder and the procedure followed in before arresting the McMichaels. The McMichales have been linked to the crime. However, there is a lack of evidence for justifying the commitment of the murder. The classical school of criminology thought was facilitated by the idea that the traditional justice system could lead to torture and arrest of people suspected of committing a crime without justifiable evidence (Paternoster & Fisher, 2017). The introduction of the classical school of thought in criminology advocates for lenient punishments such as the removal of the death penalty. McMichaels were known to have committed the murder crim. The arrest delayed until a video showing the last moment of the crime was released (Men accused in Ahmaud Arbery shooting hire attorneys, n.d.). This information indicates that the arrest of the suspect was based on evidence to prevent injustice. Additionally, the statement that the defense attorneys for the McMichaels said they had to ask for the judges to set bonds so that the suspects can be released awaiting the judgment.
Social Structural Theory of Criminology
The social structural theory of criminology explains a crime from socioeconomic aspects. This information indicates that poor people are likely to commit crimes as they try to achieve their monetary and social success in the community. From this perspective, people are believed to commit crimes from either social disorganization, strain, or cultural deviance (Akers & Jennings, 2019). Social disorder happens when people live in areas where order has broken down and created an opportunity for people to engage in activities that break the law. Arbery murder justifies this condition from various incidences witnessed in the case. For instance, the suspects Arbery for being a black man recognized to be a socially and economically disadvantaged community in the United States. The mere presence of Arbery in the McMichaels street and the murder indicates the murder crime was committed based on the assumptions that the whites have towards the Black Americans. The statement by the McMichaels that, "But we've been having a lot of burglaries and break-ins around here," Travis McMichael added. "I had a pistol stolen January 1, actually," (Men accused in Ahmaud Arbery shooting hire attorneys, n.d) reflects a social disorganization in the area that contributed to the shooting and murder and Arbery by being suspected to be a criminal.
Social Process Criminology Theory
The social process theory of criminology perceives crime in the community as a function of the interactions of people in the streets, organizations, and institutions. In effect, people from different walks of life have the potential to become criminals if they maintain a destructive social relationship. According to Vito & Maahs (2015), the socialization process forms the aspects that people form about people from different ethnic groups. The impacts of social process theory appears through various incidences in the case involving the shooting and murder of Arbery. The shooting and killing of Arbery occurred in the streets, reflecting a misunderstanding between the suspects and the victim. In a statement recording, Tarvis McMichael said that he saw a black man in a black male red shirt and short white calling from his truck (Men accused in Ahmaud Arbery shooting hire attorneys, n.d.). This description and the assumption that Arbery possesses a gun presents the impacts of socialization and associating people from different ethnic groups with criminology. Given the fact that the case involves a black American, the victim, and the victim and whites as the suspects, there is a misunderstanding between the people from different ethnic groups in Georgia.
Social process criminology theory best explains the occurrence of the crime involving the murder of Arbery in Georgia. The rationale for this decision is that crime involves uncertainties and actions originating from a misunderstanding among the members of different communities. The social process criminology theory indicates that crime occurs when people from different ethnic groups misunderstand each other contributing to the crimes witnessed in institutions and streets. The case involved Arbery, a black American suspected to commit crime in the streets and the McMichaels whites. This information indicates that murder crime originated from socialization and the perceptions that whites have on black Americans. The shooting occurred under suspicion that Arbery committed a crime or had the intention for engaging in criminal activities. The video presented shows Arbery present in the streets but he did not engage in the criminal activity.
Conclusion
The social process theory of criminology is best explains the case involving the murder of Arbery. The central idea is that the occurrence of the claim occurred due to racial differences between the whites and black Americans. However, the case involves a combination of theories such as social structural and classical school criminology theories. The classical school explains the importance of applying evidence in arresting and judging the criminals. This theory occurs in the arrest of the suspects and the application of bonds for the suspects to wait the judging out of jail.
References
Akers, R. L., & Jennings, W. G. (2019). The social learning theory of crime and deviance. In Handbook on crime and deviance (pp. 113-129). Springer, Cham.
Men accused in Ahmaud Arbery shooting hire attorneys. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2020, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ahmaud-arbery-shooting-killing-suspects-gregory-travis-mcmichael-hire-attorneys/
Paternoster, R., & Fisher, D. (2017). The foundation and re ‐ emergence of classical thought in criminological theory: A brief philosophical history. The Handbook of the History and Philosophy of Criminology, 173-188.
Vito, G. F., & Maahs, J. R. (2015). Criminology. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
