For more information
Call 1-800-351-0222
Call 1-800-351-0222
CRIME IN CANADA.
Term Paper ID:23465
Essay Subject:
Explores crime increase, violence, drugs & gangs, focusing on youth. Urbanization, Juvenile Offenders Act, socialization, public view.... More...
10 Pages / 2250 Words
30 sources, 33 Citations,
APA Format
$40.00
More Papers on This Topic
Paper Abstract:
Explores crime increase, violence, drugs & gangs, focusing on youth. Urbanization, Juvenile Offenders Act, socialization, public view.
Paper Introduction:
CRIME AND URBANIZATION
Introduction
This research examines the issue of the potential relationship between the rate of criminal behavior and the process of urbanization. Urbanization has increased steadily and approximately equally in North American societies—Canada and the United States. Increases in the level of criminal behavior in the two countries have been disparate—much higher in the United States than in Canada. In fact, the rate of property crime in Canada has been declining (Stephens, 1994, p. 25). Violent crime rates in Canada overall have declined slightly, however, violent criminal behavior by adolescents in Canada has increased sharply, although not to the levels prevalent in the United States (Farnsworth, 1995, p. A5). Urbanization, thus, may not be the major
Text of the Paper:
The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper.
Criminalbehavior existed prior to increasing drug use, however, and there is littlereason to really expect criminal deviancy to disappear if the drug problemis suddenly controlled. (1991, 25 March). Such demands are especiallystrong in relation to young offenders (Bergman, 1995, p. Killings by teen-agers up sharplyin Canada. (1989, 3 January). Unfortunately, these explanations are all too oftenoffered in support of some pet prejudice of the proponent. 985-991). Violent crime rates inCanada overall have declined slightly, however, violent criminal behaviorby adolescents in Canada has increased sharply, although not to the levelsprevalent in the United States (Farnsworth, 1995, p. 24-29; Elder, 1992, p. Maclean's,1 5, 24-29. Masters (1988, p. SaturdayNight, 1 5, 25-34. Animportant question when assessing general deterrence is distinguishingbetween the impact of deterrent threats in curtailing the careers ofalready active offenders and in inhibiting initiation of criminal careersamong non-offenders. That society is perceived as alien by many of these youngpersons, and gang membership provides a haven where they are accepted. This practice occurs because young persons underthe age of 12 years old are not subject to the Young Offender Act, and,thus, can act with relative impunity. Urbanization,thus, may not be the major culprit in the increase in violent criminalbehavior. Subsequent to this point, the desistersno longer engage in criminal behaviors. Criminal justice experts place the blame for increased antisocialbehaviors by young persons on a number of social forces present in Canadiansociety (Fulton & Fisher, 1992, p. (1995, 21 August). Young persons who join street gangs are also frequently alienated fromsociety's political establishment. Innocents never engage in antisocial activity, whileboth desisters and persisters experiment with criminal activity, until thesorting out process is complete. Increases in the level ofcriminal behavior in the two countries have been disparate-much higher inthe United States than in Canada. Pearson, P. D. The effects on individuals who participate instreet gang activity must be considered in terms of both short-term andlong-term effects. BritishJournal of Criminology, 32, 537-549. Eric, Tyrone, and Michael. Some experts contend thatindividuals tend to sort themselves out into innocents, desisters, andpersisters at an early age (Blumstein, Farrington, & Moitra, 1985, p. Another trend in youth crime in Canada is the use of children underthe age of 12 to perform criminal acts for older teenagers (Fulton &Fisher, 1992, pp. Bergman, B. Typical gang activities may involve a variety of criminal and otherantisocial behaviors (Kaihla, 1991, pp. Cohn, S. A wide variety of explanations are offered forthis phenomenon. Chatelaine, 63, 72-76. An exploration of changesin dispositions for young offenders in Toronto. Young and dangerous. Chatelaine,66, 72-76. Blumstein, A., Farrington, D. K., & Fisher, L. Youth Crime in Canada Criminal behavior by young people in Canada represents a growingsocial problem in the country (Aarsteinsen, 199 , pp. Doob, A. M. 651-656). In effect, actors are integratedinto society through the beliefs they hold, the positions they occupy, andthe groups to which they belong. From 1986 to 1991, by way of illustration,violent offenses committed by persons aged 12 through 17 years old inCanada increased by 1 2 percent (Pearson, 1993, pp. Such is the sensitization that streetgang members are not simply tolerant of violent and socially unacceptablebehaviors; rather, they tend to seek out and precipitate situations for thedisplay of such behaviors. 251-272; Corbett & Simon, 1992, pp. 72-76). Research on rehabilitationsuggests that the net effects for a variety of identified and evaluatedtreatment programs both in and out of prison, are generally small. A. It ispossible, then, that some offenders undergo rehabilitation, while otherssuffer a criminogenic effect of incarceration, but that in aggregate thetwo are roughly in balance. Researchers think that thegreatest single motivators for desisters is apprehension by the police,without being charged for a crime. Blumstein, A., & Cohen. Increasingly, attempts are being made to link criminal deviancy withincreased drug use in society (Kaihla, 1995, pp. 14). N., & Meen, J. P., & Moitra, S. F. (1995, 1 July). Not allof these factors are relevant to all offenders. Maclean's, 1 8(17),22. Teenage mutant ninja Canadians. (1995, 14 August). Most certainly,drug use and criminal behavior frequently accompany one another. Native youth gangs roam the streets of Winnipeg along withyouth gangs comprised of English Canadians (Bergman, 1995, p. Trends in Canadian youth homicide.Canadian Journal of Criminology, 32(4), 651-656. Title:Characterizing criminal careers. In Toury, M., & Morris, N.(Eds.). Almost every judge will give first-, second-, or even third-time offendersa break, reserving the heaviest sentences for those men who have finallyexhausted judicial patience or optimism. Thisbehavior ranges from vandalism to property crimes and to crimes of violenceincluding murder (Pearson, 1993, pp. What is more significantabout the functioning of street gangs, however, is that the socializationprocess of street gangs is very much in line with the group dynamics ofother societal groups. J. Kaihla, P. (1992). Q. L., & Moore, E. Children of crime. The effects of incarceration,however, could be criminogenic and work in the opposite direction bylengthening the criminal career or increasing. CRIME AND URBANIZATION Introduction This research examines the issue of the potential relationship betweenthe rate of criminal behavior and the process of urbanization.Urbanization has increased steadily and approximately equally in NorthAmerican societies-Canada and the United States. Where such factors arerelevant to an offender, however, it is the circumstances associated withthese factors that should be assessed by the police officer in decidingwhat action to take in a specific case, and not the fact, as an example,that an offender has a low measured IQ and also is unemployed. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 29(8),251-272. Burke, Dan, & Kaihla, Paul. Montreal mayhem. (1992, 18 May). Maclean's, 1 4, 18-21. A5). (199 , March). Further, the gang organization provides a stable structure of asort, in which events and behaviors are, to some extent predictable,whether or not they are considered by outsiders to be socially acceptable.Almost all street gang members, however, become sensitized to violent andsocially unacceptable behaviors. Kaihla, P. The perception gap. Schlesinger, P. The global crime wave. More than anything else, these gangs provide a place to belong forgroups of young people who are disaffected from their society and fromtheir families. The Futurist,28(4), 22-28. Barlow, H. Young persons in Canada, according to the critics of the Act,know that they are virtually immune from meaningful punishment, regardlessof their behavior (Doob & Beaulieu, 1992, pp. At the micro level-involving individualoffenders-one can try to incapacitate them, typically through imprisonment,and thereby block their access to potential victims in the community duringthe period of confinement. 229-242). Alternatively, one can try to improve theirbehavior subsequent to some treatment that may focus on punishment (workingthrough individual deterrence) or on enhancing individual skills inlegitimate activities (sometimes indicated as rehabilitation). Maclean's, 1 9, 24. The cocaine king. The essence of this charge is that the Act protects youngoffenders but does not protect Canadian society as a whole (Dolphin, 1989,pp. (1994, September). Science, 237, 985-991. A criminal behavior peculiar to teenagers is swarming,in which a victim is surrounded by teenagers "and assaulted or robbed in aflurry of violence" (Fulton & Fisher, 1992, pp. (199 , March). 985-991).Prominent among these factors are (1) low measured IQ, (2) parentalcriminality, (3) disruptive family situation, (4) lower social class, (5)low income, (6) high unemployment, and (7) drug and alcohol abuse. The dynamics of criminal careers, especially theirpotential for change, are also relevant for assessing likely rehabilitationor individual deterrent effects (Blumstein & Cohen, 1987, pp. Social Problems, 38(5), 287-296. There also isevidence, however, that criminal offenders who remain in their criminalcareers into their 3 s likely will continue such behavior into their lateryears (Blumstein & Cohen, 1987, p. Defining crime, thus, is in itself important in the determination ofwhat constitutes criminal deviance in society, and in the development ofstrategies to reduce the frequency of criminal deviance. New York Times, 144, A5. While as a group older persons tend to commit less crime on a percapita basis than do their younger counterparts, they tend to commit theirindividual crimes for the same reasons that other adults do: lack ofcommitment to conforming norms, lack of alternatives, need for excitement,or mental aberrations. Farnsworth, C. Variation in theexercise of judicial discretion with young offenders. Doob, A. Civil rightsgroups often contend that socioeconomic deprivation and discrimination arethe underlying causes of criminal behavior, and that, to reduce crime, amore equitable society must be constructed (Kaihla & Laver, 1992, pp. (1993, May). 72-76). The fact that the greatest increase incriminal behavior is by the youth component of the population suggests thata complete breakdown in moral values is beginning to characterize andincreasing proportion young people-a trend that appears to be unrelated tourbanization. Are white-collar and commonoffenders the same? Came, B. Delinquencycareers: Innocents, desisters, and persisters. Elder, J. (1991). The phenomenon of teenaged gangs is alien to the thinking of mostCanadians. 397-42 ; Benson &Moore, 1992, pp. (1991, 25 March). Maclean's,1 8(33), 18-19. Robbery of elementary school students by their classmates onschool grounds is unthinkable to most Canadians. (1992, 18 May). Because only somepopulation elements in Canada are associated with increased crime levels,however, it is difficult to attribute the cause of increased criminalbehavior to increased urbanization. 28). Benson, M. Masters, R. The most draconian sentenceswill, of necessity, tend to fall on adult offenders nearing the end oftheir criminal careers and not on the young ones who are in theircriminally most productive years. Fulton, E. 28-33). Punitive attitudes toward criminals: Racialconsensus or racial conflict? Wild in the streets. Further, the high correlation between drug use andcriminal behavior exists because white collar crime and corporate crime areall too often excluded from the definition of criminal behavior. Kaihla, P., & Laver, R. (1993, January). 18). 35-5 ). (1991). Maclean's, 1 8, 14. 25-34). Gangwarfare rages in Montreal over control of the illegal drug trade (Came,1995, p. Canadian Journal ofCriminology, 34, 35-5 . Research has related a propensity to engage in criminal misconductwith a number of different factors (Blumstein & Cohen, 1987, pp. In inner city ghettos, young personsoften feel no identity with the larger society which surrounds theneighborhood. Nevertheless, the very young are committing increasingly brutalcrimes. If one personsees another act with relative impunity in the context of corporate crime,white collar crime, or alcohol-related driving offenses, that person maywell be tempted to their own form of criminal deviancy, and their choicesto commit some criminal behavior of their own choosing may be moreunderstandable in this context (Schlesinger, 1991, pp. (1995, 24 August). Conclusion Increases in criminal behavior by some elements of the population haveoccurred simultaneously with increased urbanization. In fact, the rate of property crime inCanada has been declining (Stephens, 1994, p. 32). Thus, regardless of an offender's age, a past historyof criminal behavior should dictate against a lenient approach to anoffender by a police officer. British Journal of Criminology, 42(9), 397-42 . The proponentsof this action, however, are very careful to delineate exactly what theymean by crime, because, in most instances, they do not want harsh criminaljustice for white collar crime, corporate crime, or alcohol-related drivingoffenses (however violent), because the application of harsh punishment forthese crime might just catch them in the net. References Aarsteinsen, B. In the 199 s, however, thereis a stronger tendency on the part of an ever greater proportion of thepopulation to engage in any activity, criminal or not, that provide themwith some degree of pleasure-when the opportunity presents itself (Barlow,1991, pp. It is not unusual for individuals whoparticipate in street gangs to spend time incarcerated in police lockups,county jails, or provincial prisons. (1994, July-August). (1996, 5 February). Inside the gangs.Maclean's, 1 4, 22-23. Crime Control, Punishment, and the Juvenile Offenders Act Canada's Juvenile Offender Act also is blamed for the increase incriminal behavior by young persons in the country (Doob & Meen, 1993, pp.19-29). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 25-34;Silverman, 199 , pp. That effect might show itself through a reduction in orshortening of the residual criminal career. 57).This sorting out process occurs between the ages of 1 and 12 according tosome research; however, other researchers think that the process continuesinto young adulthood. Crime control is obtained in macro terms through general deterrence,by communicating symbolically to the public at large that they riskpunishment if they commit crimes. Theincarceration experience, however, could also have longer term effectsfollowing release if it changes behavior, either through individualdeterrence or through enhancing skills in functioning in legitimateactivity. 989). In the short-term, many of the individuals whoparticipate in street gangs find the gang structure a positive experience.The gang accepts them, where that case may not have prevailed in their ownfamily. 43-44). Terror in the streets. Contemporary street gangs,however, represent far more than just an outlet for the energy of theyoung. Incapacitation effects represent crime reduction that occurs while theindividual is incarcerated (Blumstein & Cohen, 1987, pp. Crime and justice. (1995, 2 January). The energy of the young in groups. A major reason that an ever growing proportion of thepopulation appears to be findings criminal behavior an acceptablealternative to non criminal behavior is the continuing socialization ofcriminal deviancy (McCord, 1991, pp. (1992, 18 May). Schroeder, A. Stephens, G. (Vol. Decisions to break or adhere to therules of the road, viewed from the rational choice perspective. 6). Journal of CriminalLaw and Criminology, 82, 229-242. (1995, 24 April). Researchers also contend that, by thetime antisocial behavior has progressed to the point where an individualshould be charged, it is usually to late to divert that individual to thedesister group. Criminologists have long associated the commission of crime with theopportunity for the commission of such acts. (1985). What to do about crime. The spectre of 12 year olds fighting in the street with steel bars andknives seems unbelievable to most Canadians (Fulton & Fisher, 1992, pp. Rampaging teenagers. Brutal murder. Bergman, B. Increasing criminal activity and an increase violent behavior-bothindividual and group-characterization a major part of the socialdeterioration in which gang activity thrives. 25). (1991). Black and angry. Commentary,98(3), 25-34. (199 , October). 34-35). Corbett, C., & Simon, F. 985-991). Yet, all of theseincidents and many much worse have occurred, are occurring, and will likelycontinue to occur. N., & Beaulieu, L. After the teenage years, age does appears to be monotonicallynegatively related to the propensity to engage in criminal behaviors.There is reasonably high termination of criminal misconduct, and relativelylittle recruitment to such behavior after about age 2 . The media politics of crime and criminaljustice. (1988). Wilson, J. 22). Increasingly, the Canadian public is demanding harsher penalties forcriminal behavior (McDonald, 1995, p. Then, of course, there is thelobby for the application of harsh justice on all criminal offenders as ameans of reducing the crime rate (Cohn, 1991, pp. 24). 35). Explaining crimes and analogous acts, or theunrestrained will grab at pleasure whenever they can. 18-21). The young offenders.Maclean's, 1 5, 34-35. The real agenda in these instances is incomeredistribution, not the reduction of crime. Silverman, R. School andCollege, (5), 6 . Criminal Behavior, Gangs, and Drugs Youth crime in Canada is also increasingly being characterized by gangactivity (Kaihla, 1991, pp. 6 ) contended that the energy of theyoung has always been channeled into groups, and that contemporary gangactivity is just an extension of that process. 211-228). Maclean's, 1 2, 43-44. 18-21). Early intervention, thus, is indicated. Canadian Journal ofCriminology, 35, 19-29. For many individuals participating instreet gangs, such incarceration becomes something of a status symbol. 34-35). 537-549). (1991). McDonald, M. McCord, J. 72-76; Schroeder, 199 , pp. The peak ages of criminality are betweensixteen and eighteen; the average age of prison inmates is ten years older. (1992). It is all too easy andsimple minded to state that contemporary street gangs coalesced around theillegal drug trade. Those offenders who are stillactively involved in crime at age 3 have survived the more typical earlytermination of criminal careers, and so are more likely to be the morepersistent offenders. H. Maclean's, 1 8(1),28-29. 22-23). More and more people arecoming to the view that behavior termed criminally deviant is notnecessarily socially unacceptable. (1987, 28 August). Dolphin, R. 287-296). Forsuch individuals, the effects of street gang participation lingers intolater life, as they continue to live on the fringes of acceptable society. Street gang activity in Canada moreoften than not is associated with Asian ethnic population groups; however,other population groups increasingly are engaging in gang activities. "We all share the blame." Maclean's, 1 5,32. The more draconian the sentence, theless (on the average) the chance of its being imposed, primarily because ofplea bargains (Wilson, 1994, pp. The cycle of crime and socialization practices.Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 82, 211-228. Maclean's, 1 8(28), 28-33. Social values, group memberships, andsocial roles are conceived as the axes providing the ties that structuresocial interaction, place the person in society, and order relations withothers (Burke & Kaihla, 1991, pp. Criminal anti-social behavior in the 199 s is shockingly high andincreasing in frequency. 34-35). A. (1992, January). Three adolescents, one only 13 years old, murdered a retiredAnglican bishop and his wife in their own home (Brutal, 1996, p.
If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again:
or
We can write a Custom Essay just for you.
Browse Essays by Subject