The Anomie Strain Theories Crime Control

Crime Control

The Anomie/Strain theories have been discussed by four sociologist who sought to explain why deviant behaviors occur. The most common Anomie theories are stated by Robert Merton and Emile Durkheim. Many individuals in society are affected by societal control that makes their lives miserable. For example, an individual could be well-learned, have a legitimate means of income and live a good life in comparison to others. However, some of these individuals could feel incomplete or are controlled by the norms of society which limit them to live in a certain manner. Such individuals could end up committing atrocities as a consequence of mental and emotional strain. These individuals mostly fight personal feelings against the norms of the society. For instance, according to Brezina (2012), some are unable to adapt to the new norms due to resistance to change, while others simply fail to embody the norms embraced by society. Therefore, the standards set by society results in individuals developing mental health issues and deviant behaviors. This paper will explain the Anomies theories and develop a policy that will help in crime control, with reference to the theory.

Anomies can also be associated with the gap that exists between the means and objectives or goals. For instance, many individuals from different statuses aspire to lead a successful life amidst the challenges they face on a daily basis. However, the pressure and strain they get from society leads them to develop deviant behaviors. These behaviors make individuals get involved in criminal activities to gain wealth and success. Featherstone and Deflem (2003) point out that according to Merton, low-status individuals are set to believe the American culture of working hard and achieving success, but are provided with less resources to achieve anything meaningful. Unlike the high and middle class individuals, low-class people rarely get education or training opportunities that would help them lead a successful life as set by society. Therefore, they get innovative and develop hustles or jobs that help them gain social status and wealth through illegal means. These illegal jobs include high status call girl engagements, drug trafficking, human trafficking, collecting ransoms from kidnapping people, weapon trafficking, among others. Other individuals retreat from following the rules and norms created by society and set out to create new ones, where they create new objectives and means of achieving them - for instance terrorists. Merton also discusses individuals who abandon having goals and societal norms. Examples of such individuals include drug addicts and alcoholics who abandon their goals and jobs to focus on getting their next drug dose through means like stealing, borrowing or begging.

Therefore, the anomies mentioned above lead to an increase in criminal activities and many mental health issues as depicted by the criminals. There are several mental health policies that assist in controlling crime within society. Many individuals involved in criminal activities are affected by mental health issues and develop deviant behaviors because the public does not understand or feel the need to support them in their situations. Mental health issues associated with anomies cause individuals to develop deviant attributes, which increases their risk of involving themselves with criminal activities. Society does not stress the awareness of mental health issues since it is more concerned about how people respond to the set norms. Even though there are policies and laws present to ensure fairness in criminal justice towards criminals with mental issues, society still does not create enough awareness about the concern and continues to set standards that leads more people to suffer from mental disorders. The policies set to defend criminals with mental health issues have been developed, but are yet to be implemented in some states. This is as a consequence of the belief that there must be punishment for every crime committed, without looking into the mental states of the deviants. Mental health conditions develop from social and cultural anomies that make young generations be affected by inequalities.

Even though there are several mental health laws and policies on crime control, I believe more should be done given the rise in criminal activities due to society’s negative influences on the current generation. More policies are needed to educate individuals on mental health issues, how they develop, and why individuals who suffer chronically from these issues behave the way they do (Bolton and Bhugra, 2020). Poverty and mental health issues go hand in hand and that is why some people are motivated into the acquisition of wealth through illegal means. The policy I would come up with in reference to Anomies theory is for the society to change its perception and influence towards people. The standards and norms set by society in the current generation should change and let people live according to their abilities. The society should be mindful of the diverse the mental health issues that are arising due to the pressure and stress placed on the way individuals live their lives.