Discussion Posts
Q1. Impacts of changing nature of the crime to criminology.
Social crimes led to increased engagement in criminology (McCold, 2016). Criminology is a discipline that focuses on the etiology of crime. Criminology studies incorporate all factors in attempts to define, explain, evaluate, comprehend, prevent, and manage crime (Akers & Sellers, 2013). Our approach in criminology, despite comprehensive scope, converges to a legal perspective. However, we have incorporated socio-economic aspects of crime management through restorative justice systems (McCold, 2016).
Crime on the legal law approach is any act that violates law either by committing or omitting. As a citizen, one can be prosecuted for breaking the law or by failing to report a crime or criminal. The understanding of content learned can be summed up by stating we are mainly trying to answer the 'what' and 'whys' of crime. We are always engaged in finding what caused, causes, and why. We can all agree that crime varies in time and space, perpetrators, and even victims, and we need to fully understand where, when, and whys of each aspect. If we try to review the trend of crime in our community, we shall note nature and rate of crime vary between and within regions and populations (Akers & Sellers, 2013).
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The most significant change in crime today refers to variations caused by technology. Some fundamental changes related to technology include new digital crime, most prominent being cybercrimes like data hacking. Technology has also introduced new ways of committing old crimes like financial crimes that are being committed through digital supported strategies. $1.5 Million was stolen by Brooklyn Street Gang using fraud money orders. The scope of crime environment and gang’s activities has also been changed because of modern technology. Technology has also introduced new forms of crime, like terrorism propaganda. Justin Larson, a drug peddler, used encrypted communications, which was hard to detect. The nature of crime has led to changes in investigations approach, provides digital supported evidence, surveillance and investigation tools, manpower, and training demands have also been altered (Police Executive Research Forum, 2018).
Q2. Impact of criminological research on social policy.
In my studies and research, the key principle, I have managed to capture and find to be critical is on criminology thoughts, intelligence, and aspects of crime study. In general crime management model is like a medical model that tries to make a diagnosis of crime and define treatment. Criminology has contributed to the establishment of models and theories of crime control and management. There are five core aspects of crime management and control I would like to bring to your attention before we focus on policy aspects (Akers & Sellers, 2013).
The first aspect is on the micro dimension where differentiation is crime specified, and each crime requires a specified approach based on the situation and not generalized. Macro differentiation focus on the nature of crime, regions, and other broad aspects. Restorative justice calls for management of the cause of crime, and thus the third aspect focus on causality and contributing socio-economic factors. As a community, we respond to crime in a productive manner, which led to the last two aspects, the micro responses and macro responses aspects (Akers & Sellers, 2013). Let think about how our society relates to crime. We are not only involved at a local level, but we are directly or indirectly involved nationally, regionally, internationally. Crimes like terrorism, a crime against humanities, raise global concerns, and all peace-loving people and nations are involved in control and management (Police Executive Research Forum, 2018).
On models and policy, I would like to mention three models of a crime defined by criminologists and likeminded personalities who endeavored our course. Or predecessors defined key concepts that have contributed significantly to how we approach crime today. Kohlberg's model is based on three key principles, punishment, reward, and motivation. Socrates and Gyges advocated for personal morals where people will obey and do the right things without being forced. Scientific criminologists, where most of us are oriented advocates today for scientific research approach on crime management and control aspects (Akers & Sellers, 2013).
Research should be conducted ethically and observing all principles on data collection and analysis. By engaging in research based on the scientific research method, we are able to provide social policies that are more sustainable. A good example of how the models I have used above contributed socially is through the white paper reports in the UK, which led to the establishment of restorative justice systems. Criminal justice that was initially applied became counterproductive, and data showed an increase in crime in society and overpopulation convict in collection centers. A strategy to manage crime research was conducted, leading to a restorative justice system, which has been adopted by many states (McCold, 2016).
Participation Responses
Dear Student 1,
It is interesting how you relate the changes in criminal activities to the imminent change of criminology in the coming years. Criminals indeed influence the attitude and the knowledge retained by the public about crime. The massive attention around criminals, in the developed and developing nations alike, makes it easier to look up to criminal activities for what to expect from the criminology experts. While this social convention is unquestionable, a more significant concern arises in the legal approach to the situation. From your post, it appears as though the experts in criminology have failed. It is in the professional duties of criminal investigation detectives, the police, the court systems, and other affiliated entities to investigate, apprehend, or prevent the occurrence of criminal activities. Yet, trends in history show that the criminal activities have often sidestepped even the best of experts in criminology. This reality is underscored by your argument that in more cases than one has criminals proved to be one step ahead of those in position to eradicate crime.
Reading through your post, one readily sees the need for the experts to return to the drawing board, look into the past, and make a bold plan for the future of criminology. These experts should expect changes in the practices and methods of committing a crime. But, unless a change in the conventional criminology practices happens soon enough, the future could be worse. In particular, the advent of technology should raise the biggest scare over the degree of sophistication of criminal activities. Despite this threat, however, technology should also be seen as the biggest opportunity to raise the standards of criminology. This assertion is valid because technology will simply provide the new routes and target markets for predatory crimes, but the fundamental motivations for crime, such as greed, revenge, or lust, will not change ( Fattah, 1997) . To stay ahead of the game, therefore, criminology should capitalize on minimizing the opportunities for crime rather than waiting for the damage to be done and attempt to prevent its recurrence. The experts must, therefore, research into means of technology-oriented mechanisms of crime investigation, detection, and prevention of the currently known crimes such as theft, rape, and homicide. Or do we have to wait for another 9/11 attack to guard our airspace against drone attacks?
Dear Student 2,
Yours is perhaps the best explanation of the impact of criminology research on social policy. Even a novice like me can relate to the point of convergence between the two. As it emerges, the traditional views on crime no longer have a place in modern society. Partly, this is attributed to the changing nature of crimes, and partly to the research on the whole topic of criminology. In the past, efforts to curb criminology were made simply to restore society to its normalcy. This is to say that criminal activities were viewed as part of the society which brought disruptions. Criminology duties were therefore intended to restore social order in the aftermath of crime. Today, however, societies approach crime not as a part of it but as an external threat to society's existence- one which must be ended indiscriminately. Criminologists have, for this reason, focused on creating policies that encourage the eradication of crime rather than those which push for the restoration of society that had been disrupted by criminal activities. Therefore, you are right to note that times have changed, and criminology is solely for reducing crime.
Perhaps you could add that to achieve this, criminologists have narrowed their focus to programs that reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of the crime itself ( Agnew, 2001) . These efforts are primarily geared towards changing social policies by means of research into the psychological, social, and even biological factors that led to an increase in crime or its decrease thereof ( Agnew, 2001) . Your example of increasing the quality of prenatal care as a means to reduce the likelihood of the newly borns growing up into criminal-minded youths and adults is particularly an eye-opener on how criminology has influenced social policies. To add on, I would restate the ongoing educational programs that have been created chiefly to prevent future crime. Currently, there are initiatives that pick on high-risk children from pre-school and provide them with quality education and social support to reduce the chances of them growing up to offend the greater society. Such instances of criminology research continue to play an increasingly vital role in the development of future social policies.
References
Agnew, R. (2001). Building on the foundation of general strain theory: Specifying the types of strain most likely to lead to crime and delinquency. Journal of research in crime and delinquency , 38 (4), 319-361.
Akers, R. L. & Sellers, C. S. (2013). Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, Application [pdf]. Retrieved from: https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199844487/guide1/study_guide.p
Fattah, E. A. (1997). The Future of Criminology and Criminology of the Future. In Criminology: Past, Present and Future (pp. 284-305). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
McCold, P. (2016). White Paper on Restorative Policing [pdf]. Retrieved from: http://www.restorativejusticeinternational.com/assets/RJI-White-Paper-on-Restorative
Police Executive Research Forum. (2018). The Changing Nature of Crime and Criminal Investigations [pdf]. Retrieved from: https://www.policeforum.org/assets/ChangingNatureofCrime.pdf
