Criminological Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Criminological Theory - Essay Example Research has proven that factors such as possession of particular genes, low levels of serotonin activity, neurological deficits, malnutrition and environmental pollution to a large extent increase the likelihood of an individual engaging in criminal activities. Lack of nutrients and mineral has a negative impact on the physical growth, cognitive development and intellectual growth of an individual and high or low levels of some minerals such as sodium, calcium and amino acids has been found to lead to cognitive dysfunctions, loss of memory and maniac behaviour which lead to increased propensity to engage in criminal behaviour. Steven Mobley, was arrested and convicted of murder for shooting the manager of Domino’s Pizza store, his lawyers presented his case for litigation as that Mobley had a history of behavioural disorders, which might have resulted in a genetic disorder that was beyond his control, they requested for funding to prove this claim that was rejected (Mobley vs State, 1995). Sociological theories Sociological theories in explaining crime causation try to relate the chances of an individual becoming a criminal to social factors such as the social structures including ethnicity, class, religion and language. Other theories emphasise on the importance of social conditions in increasing the probability of an individual engaging in criminal activities, these theories are more interested in explaining the relationship between crime and factors such as social inequality, peer, influence and social disorganisation within a community, the consequences of individuals’ inability to achieve social success. Individuals who have been brought up in communities where criminal activities are encouraged are more likely to engage in criminal activities than those where3 the activity is abhorred. In addition, difference in social classes and peer influence are likely to encourage an individual to engage in criminal activities in order to fit or as a m eans of revenging against people of higher social classes whom they view to have gained the wealth at their expense. 17 year old boy was accused of killing a woman through stabbing and strangling her, in his defence he argued that he had killed because of watching a movie titled ‘A clockwork Orange’ several times which inspired him to do bad things. The Clockwork Orange movie is about a young Briton with an empty stare who always acts according to his impulses. The movie portrays the character with his gang being involved in rape incidences in the streets of London, it was criticised for the levels of violence in it and later withdrawn from circulation in the country (Anonymous, 1990). . Psychological theories Psychological theories in explaining the propensity of an individual to engage in criminal activity are concerned with the relationship between crime and personality traits, social factors, cognitive and developmental factors, these theories focus on individuals, family or the societal psychology. Research on the psychological aspect of explaining criminal behaviour show that developmental factors such as parental supervision, neglect, child-rearing practices, attachment, abuse and the parent own behaviour or engagement in criminal activ

Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and Essay

Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and non-military responses to the threat - Essay Example These conflicting opinions are now in the process of ripening and it is hoped that it will not be long before they find their application in practical terms. Discussion Older theorists have proposed that terrorism can be defeated if certain principles are followed. Terrorists often win because we respond to terrorism the way terrorists want us to respond. If our response is not in accordance with the terrorist's will, they fail to achieve their objective. So, it should be realized that the choice is ours. If we can learn to refuse to act upon the will of terrorists, we can hope to defeat terrorism, although we cannot always prevent it (Fromkin, 1975). Such ideas have dominated the minds of intellectuals of the past, but keeping in mind the present scenario of the world, we can infer that such ideas are far from reality. The previous two decades have seen a rise in the tendency to control terrorism using the military approach. The idea of intervening within states for the resolution o f military conflicts appeared prominently in the international scenario in the early 1990s, when in the Gulf war and later in Cambodia the international community played its role (Snyder, 2008). Subsequent years have seen a surge in such military measures and a collective effort on part of many countries to contain terrorism and limit it to its origins. They have, however, resulted in a growth of terrorist activities across the world, let alone stopping its spread. Our recent experiences of waging war against terrorism have only made us realize some bitter realities of the life. Most modern discoveries in neuroscience, anthropology, human evolution and paleoethnology have favored the idea that Homo sapiens are not inclined towards killing others of their own species. The similarity between a 'killer in uniform' and a 'killer without uniform' is striking. Both have to be fed with 'hatred' in the process of de-humanizing them, during which they are trained to overcome their natural te ndency to allow others to 'live' (Ram & Summy, 2008). Such discoveries have led us to believe that the military approach is, in fact, not the solution to the problem of terrorism. Theorists of insurgency have focused on the element of preserving public sympathy during military actions to gain benefit after takeover of states. Similarly, an indirect approach to contain insurgency, which is termed the 'hearts and minds' approach, emphasizes the need to gain public support by political means (Snyder, 2008). Such observations have favoured the non-military approach for the solution of terrorism. Democracy is considered by some to be the solution for terrorism. This may be true in some cases, but again it has its own limitations. In many European states where democracy is the rule, a number of terrorist groups have emerged, which not only fail to comply with the norms of democracy for their own expression but also use democracy as a tool to augment their deleterious activities (Snyder, 2 008). Such observations have led us to believe that perhaps, the non-military approach is too 'soft' for terrorism oriented mentality. So, the lesson learnt during war on terrorism is that terrorism cannot be defeated; instead, it can only be attenuated, reduced and controlled to some degree. Unrealistic hopes of completely sweeping