Causes of Crime - Categories Essay

Conversely, many individuals with comparatively fewer social benefits and apparent opportunities manage to overcome their disadvantages and achieve economic, educational, and vocational success and satisfaction.

However, criminal law is neither particularly well designed nor equipped to address the disparate influences on individuals with respect to the specific factors related to criminal conduct and the relative social advantages and disadvantages available to individuals. By definition, criminal law primarily serves three principal functions

(already described); except for the deterrence component, it is not specifically intended to address the causal factors underlying criminal conduct (Schmalleger, 2001). Admittedly, therefore, criminal law essentially ignores the root causes of the conduct it is intended to redress, notwithstanding the valuable role it plays with regard to doing so, after the fact.

The responsibility of addressing the myriad social factors and societal inequities that contribute to the actual causes underlying criminal conduct do not fall within the purview of criminal law. Rather, they are addressable through other avenues, such as political efforts and social reform intended to improve the quality education and the social environment to achieve a more nearly uniform society.Ultimately, this is a fundamental responsibility of society but not of criminal law, in particular.

References

Friedman, L.M. (2005) a History of American Law. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Gerrig, R., Zimbardo, P. (2005) Psychology and Life 17th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Henslin, J.M. (2002) Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston:

Pearson.

Macionis, J.J. (2002) Sociology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall

Schmalleger, F. (1997) Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st

Century. New Jersey: Prentice Hall

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