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Chicago School theory of crime focuses on the influence of the environment on criminal tendencies. The hypothesis favored by this theory is that an environment stricken by poverty, social instability, cultural conflict, and other similar factors resulting from phenomena such as urbanization and industrialization, is more susceptible to criminal activities than others. This theory, has been popular with criminologists for decades, and is still favored by many experts in the field. Indeed, it has significantly influenced the study and conclusions in the field of criminology.
The most significant influence of the Chicago School is on the methods of study used in criminology. The usage of official data for example has been implemented in the study of crime. Such data includes census reports, housing/welfare records and crime figures. The inclusion of this data would then reveal demographic information such as areas where crime, truancy and poverty were at their highest levels, and how these factors influence each other. Another method of study implemented by the Chicago school was the life history of the criminal. The results of such a study would then again be related to the physical environment in which the criminal and his or her activities were nurtured. In this way criminologists explain the path towards criminal deviancy within a psycho-social paradigm. In other words, the particular psychology of the criminal is related to physical and environmental factors influencing his or her criminal activities.
One of the shortcomings of this school could be an over-emphasis of specific social problems and their influence on crime, without taking into account other possible factors. This may lead to inaccurate results. Regardless of the this, however, the Chicago method remains popular with theorists, as it has provided criminology with guidelines for implementing institutions and remedies for high crime rates in specific areas.
Chicago School of Thought, Anomie and Strain Theories Criminology: Chicago School, Anomie and Strain Theories The Chicago School of criminology is a name for a conglomeration of different criminological theories that stress how the environment shapes crime-related behaviors. Chicago School theories are often said to be based on an 'ecological' models of crime. For example, theorist Robert Park held "all cities would contain identifiable clusters, which he called natural areas, where the
Many people using illicit and illegal drugs often have no impulse control and may turn violent or to another form of crime. Once an individual's mind is altered from the constant use of drugs, he or she will often steal, lie, and cheat to make the next dollar to obtain more drugs. Many people could share family related drug stories that have led to criminal activities. About 10 years ago,
Crime and Deviance Crimes and increasing criminal activities have become a major concern for the security enforcement agencies. They seek help from technology as well as social and psychological theories to prevent crimes and deal with them. The first priority of security agencies is to prevent crimes and the second priority is to control them by punishing the criminals so that they become an example for the society. This paper
How Community Policing Promotes Social Justice Introduction As Howell (2010) points out, youths “join gangs for protection, enjoyment, respect, money, or because a friend is in a gang” (p. 1). In the city of Cincinnati, gang activity among young people is on the rise, and City Council has expressed concerns over how to address this issue. The city of Mesa, Arizona, recently completed the Mesa Gang Intervention Program (MGIP), which focused on
Crime On March 9th, 2013, two New York City police officers shot and killed a sixteen-year-old Kimani Gray, and claimed afterward that he had brandished a handgun at them after being told to show his hands (Goodman, 2013). More remarkable than the New York Police Department's killing of a young black male, however, was the outpouring of community grief and anger that followed the shooting. The following Monday, March 11th, saw
Unlike the previous theories, social process theories explain criminal behavior on more microsociological terms. The emphasis of social process theories are not on the institutions, but on the relationships formed between individual family members, peer groups, teachers, church leaders and other agents of socialization. The key concept of all social process theories is based on learning. Sociologists have believed that individuals learn social values and norms from agents of socialization.