Information on deviant behavior, crime, crime victims and justice for crime is available from various sources. These sources include the internet, law book, articles, books on the justice system, and resources on human psychology among others.
Deviant Behavior
Deviance refers to any action that defies social norms and is deemed unacceptable by a majority in the society. Flouting social norms comes about when a person portrays characteristics and tendencies that are out of the ordinary but in a negative way. Individuals with deviant behaviors are collectively misfits in the society. Deviance may be criminal or non-criminal.
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Crime
Crime merely is a violation of the laws that govern a particular region or state. The cause of criminal activities in most areas is poverty and idleness in youths. When a community is economically challenged and with no aid to fall back to, the highest likelihood is that they turn to crime to get even the most basic need. There is a violent and non-violent crime. Violence is use of force against another person while non-violence is the destruction of property or theft but without forcefulness. The most common criminal activities include; fraud, traffic-related offenses, domestic violence, robbery, theft, rape, and murder among others (Gilbert, 2015).
Individuals who commit these criminal acts vary across all ages, races, and social classes. However, there are a few categories of people that have higher probabilities of committing crime than others. The above statement is not a discriminative stereotype but merely results of studies and observations of historical patterns in misconduct. These categories include; a person with a difficult childhood, someone brought up in a society where crime is an accepted way of life, an individual with a psychological disorder that leads to unlawful acts among others.
Victims of Crime
The person to whom evil is committed against is the victim. For unplanned criminal offenses, there is no particular criterion to establish the victims. In such a case it is pure coincidence or a matter of being at the wrong place and at the wrong time for the victims. On the other hand, contemplated criminality will have a clear pattern of victims dependent on the offenders criteria for choosing his/her prey. For instance, children will be the victims of a pedophile. We are all fearful of being victims of criminal acts. Once in a while, I am also afraid of being a victim of sexual harassment, theft, and fraud. This fear comes naturally depending on one’s immediate environment. Every victim has their fair share of the story and circumstances surrounding their situation (William & Little, 2013). I believe most victims are unable to come into the open or seek help from our justice systems to compensate for the wrongs done to them. Silent victims enable criminals to go without paying for their doings leading to repeated crime
Justice for Victims
In our current day society, judgment is non-existent. Many people commit a crime and go without punishment while the victims watch in disappointment. Corruption is the new way of life even in our justice system. Bribery allows the wealthy and powerful to do injustice and go without punishment (Adams et. al, 2004). Different methods of punishment should be according to the nature and magnitude of the offense committed. This way, penalties will be more effective and efficient. Brutal punishment for petty crimes is ineffective and only worsens the situations more often than not. For petty crime, corrective measures are more effective than punishment.
I have learned that not all criminals are evil people or commit crime intentionally. As such, we should work towards helping such individuals to correct their bad behaviors and do right, instead of casting them from the society.
References
Abrams, D., Marques, J. M., & Hogg, M. A. (2004). The social psychology of inclusion and exclusion. Philadelphia: Psychology Press.
Gilbert, A. (2015). 10 Most Commonly Committed Crimes around the World. Retrieved from http://www.elist10.com/10-commonly-committed-crimes-around-world/
William, L., & Little, W. (2013). Introduction to Sociology – 1st Canadian Edition. Rice University.
