The Theory of African American Literature

The theory of African American offending is well-documented in literature. Unnever (2014) engaged in research involving 3570 African Americans that focused on the impact of stereotyping African Americans and their propensity towards crime. The results of the study found out that blacks are likely to be associated with images such as violence and aggression. The stereotyped African Americans are at an increased position of showing signs of depression, anger, and low self-control. In the end, these factors contribute to their chances of committing an offense. The stereotyping of African Americans is not something new in the United States. The criminal justice system has been at the forefront in utilizing these stereotypes in their daily professional endeavors. Welch (2007) asserts that blacks are more likely than any other race, to be harassed and searched by the law enforcers. More importantly, unparalleled aggression has been meted against these individuals merely based on the stereotypes. In further analyzing the critical role that the stereotyping has on crime, Unnever, Cullen, and Barnes (2016) utilize Gabbidon and Unnever’s theories to assert their points. The author focuses on racial discrimination and how it adversely impacts African Americans from engaging in meaningful connections, especially within the learning institutions. The continued discrimination has adverse effects on the rates of school dropout cases, which further exposes the youth to delinquent behavior. The racial identity of African Americans thus remains one of the most fundamental aspects of target discrimination, as illustrated by Isom (2016). Research by this author further confirmed that the more a person is discriminated, the higher the chance they have to engage in criminal offending. Dukes & Gaither (2017) also draws a close relationship between the racial stereotyping of the blacks and the emergence of victim-blaming. The research by the authors proves that most black people have been implicated even in offenses where they were innocent. Some of the stereotypic images commonly associated with blacks include aggression, rape, and violence, among others. Thus, with the help of these stereotypes, the police have often been exonerated of any wrongdoing because of the help of the negative images associated with the black. Smiley & Fakunle (2016) outline a compelling argument when they discuss the traditional painting of the male black as a thug. The law enforcers have in many instances, described the blacks in a manner that fits an unruly criminal. According to the authors, the continuous stereotyping of the blacks has prompted them to act in an equal and opposite manner thereby living up to the social descriptions. In this regard, violence and crime among blacks can be viewed as a reactionary tactic against irresponsible labeling by their counterparts. Racial inequality remains one of the primary causes of crime in the US. Burt, Simons, & Gibbons (2012) provide a sociological explanation that seeks to draw a relationship between inequality and the growth of crime. The authors primarily utilize the strain theory which asserts that society places individuals in pressure situations to achieve things that they might not have. The racial inequalities, therefore, contribute to strain on the part of the American Americans thus leading to offending. Unnever, Barnes, and Cullen (2016) come up with a theory known as the racial invariance theory which asserts that humans engage in crime for the same reasons. The lack of racial equality in criminal justice continues to expose the blacks to unprecedented injustice. 

References 

Burt, C. H., Simons, R. L., & Gibbons, F. X. (2012). Racial discrimination, ethnic-racial socialization, and crime: A micro-sociological model of risk and resilience. American sociological review, 77(4), 648-677. 

Dukes, K. N., & Gaither, S. E. (2017). Black racial stereotypes and victim-blaming: Implications for media coverage and criminal proceedings in cases of police violence against racial and ethnic minorities. Journal of Social Issues, 73(4), 789-807. 

Isom, D. (2016). Microaggressions, Injustices, and Racial Identity: An Empirical Assessment of the Theory of African American Offending. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 32(1), 27-59. 

Smiley, C., & Fakunle, D. (2016). From “brute” to “thug:” The demonization and criminalization of unarmed Black male victims in America. Journal of human behavior in the social environment, 26(3-4), 350-366. 

Unnever, J. D. (2014). A theory of African American offending: A test of core propositions. Race and Justice, 4(2), 98-123. 

Unnever, J. D., Cullen, F. T., & Barnes, J. C. (2016). Racial Discrimination, Weakened School Bonds, and Problematic Behaviors: Testing a Theory of African American Offending. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 53(2), 139-164. 

Welch, K. (2007). Black criminal stereotypes and racial profiling. Journal of contemporary criminal justice, 23(3), 276-288.