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Homework answers / question archive / What theory or combination of theories would you choose to address a current crisis facing the country? Pick a current event and identify a theory that relates to it somehow
What theory or combination of theories would you choose to address a current crisis facing the country? Pick a current event and identify a theory that relates to it somehow. For example, tensions between minority communities and the police erupt when there is a high-profile abusive incident. Identify a theory or theories that you learned about in this course that could address such a situation. Discuss what changes the theory or theories would entail for each part of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Then identify what needs to be done to make a positive social impact. Lastly, describe how this theory might reduce and prevent future criminal behavior.
Module 06 Assignment – Trends in Criminal Justice Rubric Details Maximum Score 50 points • Theory and Current Event 20% of total grade Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student clearly identifies a theory or theories to addresses a current event. 10 Proficiency: Clear/effective achievement Student somewhat clearly identifies a theory or theories to addresses a current event. 8.5 Competence: Adequate/basic achievement Student identifies a theory or theories but not a current event. 7.5 Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student vaguely identifies a theory but not a current event. 5.5 • Changes to the Criminal Justice System 20% of total grade Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student clearly discusses what changes the theory or theories would entail for each part of the criminal justice system. 10 Proficiency: Clear/effective achievement Student somewhat clearly discusses what changes the theory or theories would entail for each part of the criminal justice system. 8.5 Competence: Adequate/basic achievement Student discusses what changes the theory or theories would entail for two parts of the criminal justice system. 7.5 Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student vaguely discusses what changes the theory or theories would entail for only one part of the criminal justice system. 5.5 • Positive Social Impact 20% of total grade Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student clearly identifies what needs to be done to make a positive social impact. 10 Proficiency: Clear/effective achievement Student somewhat clearly identifies what needs to be done to make a positive social impact. 8.5 Competence: Adequate/basic achievement Student partially identifies what needs to be done to make a positive social impact. 7.5 Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student vaguely identifies what needs to be done to make a positive social impact. 5.5 • Preventing Future Criminal Behavior 20% of total grade Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student thoroughly describes how this theory might reduce and prevent future criminal behavior. 10 Proficiency: Clear/effective achievement Student somewhat thoroughly describes how this theory might reduce and prevent future criminal behavior. 8.5 Competence: Adequate/basic achievement Student partially describes how this theory might reduce and prevent future criminal behavior. 7.5 Emerging: Limited or growing achievement Student vaguely describes how this theory might reduce and prevent future criminal behavior. 5.5
Introduction
Theories in criminal justice are useful tools that explain human behavior and its connection to criminal justice. According to Huesmann (2007) a theory is an explanation that draws sense to the observation in the real-world context. Theories in criminal justice are used to explain factors that contributes to the development of certain behavior. Moreover, theories help identify the risk factors that drives an individual to certain criminal behavior. Moreover, it focuses on identifying and explaining reasons for establishing certain laws that enforces the desired behavior. This paper focuses on the social learning theory and its application in criminal justice including: law enforcement, court and correctional; it also discusses the positive impact of this theory in the society and its role in preventing of future crimes.
Theory and Current Event
The social learning theory attempts to explain socialization and its associated effect on the development of self. According to social learning, as applied in the criminal justice system, people learn to engage in criminal behavior mainly through associating with others (Crossman, 2019). Since the criminal behavior is reinforced, this means that people learn criminal behavior from their friends and their associated beliefs. Therefore, these people view crime as desirable behavior and can justified it various circumstances.
An event that can be explained using the social learning theory is the increasing criminal activities and juvenile conviction among the African Americans. According to Hinton et al., (2018) the African Americans despite being one of the minority race in the U.S, it has a high number of inmates. Moreover, the blacks live in an environment established to have higher crime activities such as holding illegal firearms, drug trafficking, higher crime rates, and gang activities. According to the social learning theory, people learn to engage in crime mainly through associating with others (Morris & Higgins, 2010). For instance, juveniles learn n conforming behavior through association with peers.
The increasing conviction of African Americans is due to the association friends and peer networks with criminal behavior. The social learning theory uses differential reinforcement of crime to explain that individuals can teach others to engage in crime through punishments and reinforcement they provide as motivation (Rader & Haynes, 2011). Thus, crime occurs where it is frequently reinforced and punished. In this case, African Americans are frequently punished for various crimes such as drug trafficking, murders, which explains the increasing prevalence of criminal activities in their community.
Changes to the Criminal Justice System
Law Enforcement
The social learning theory has proven its effectiveness in law enforcement. Law enforcement officers can use the concepts from social learning theories to track the offender through peer association, reinforcement, and modeling that act as predictors of delinquency and crime (Akers & Jennings, 2019). The social learning theory offers a useful explanation of the police conduct in handling the suspects and how this can encourage or discourage their behavior. For instance, in law enforcement, instructors allow trainees to watch each participant in the simulation exercise that helps them to understand how to handle different criminal situations. Using this theory, policymakers can track the environment where criminal behavior and activities are likely to occur.
Courts
In the courtroom, social learning theory is used to either approve or determine the behavior's neutrality. For instance, some definition generally frames the criminal behavior as positive while the neutralizing definition is used to justify some form of the criminal conduct brought in court (Akers & Jennings, 2019). The cognitive definition argues that deviance provides a mindset that makes a person more willing to commit to an act or opportunity. The court is guided by differential reinforcement that broadly associates the individual conduct to their experiences and the anticipated consequences of their behavior (Akers & Jennings, 2019). Therefore, once the action is partly determined by what they perceive to be the consequences of their action or lack of it. People will refrain from committing a crime depending on the past, present, and future punishment associated with their behavior as determined by the courts.
Corrections
Social learning is applied in correctional facilities to encourage positive behaviors among the inmates. Social learning theory can enhance differential reinforcement of attitudes, values, and beliefs through imitation or differential association, and it can either be positive or negative (Akers & Jennings, 2019). Positive enhancement among the inmates can be achieved when positive behavior is rewarded through actions and positive outcomes. Promoting positive reinforcement can increase the likelihood of criminal behavior (Akers & Jennings, 2019). On the other hand, negative reinforcement involves removing negative consequences that increase the probability of doing certain actions.
Positive Social Impact
Making a positive social impact involves reducing the number of crimes committed in the community through changing behavior. Secondly, helping to change the inmate behavior to positive and integrating them into the community. Reducing the onset of violent behavior will focus on reducing the association of teens with delinquent peer groups where violence is modeled and rewarded (Akers & Jennings, 2019). The theory articulates that family and peers should maintain a positive interaction with their teens since violence in the home during childhood can predict aggression behavior. Early prediction helps in nurturing the child and prevent possible delinquency. Therefore, the theory helps the family to be on the lookout for the child's behavior to identify any potential association with negative peer influences (Akers & Jennings, 2019). It offers effective law enforcement, court process, and correctional services to integrate the convict into the community.
Preventing Future Criminal Behavior
Social learning theory focuses on preventing future criminal behavior. For instance, the social learning perspective understands that deviant and criminal conduct is learned and sustained through associating with peers and family (Akers & Jennings, 2015). Such sources of behavior can be modified to help one manipulate such processes and environmental factors. Social learning theory helps policymakers develop and implement policies and changes and rehabilitative programs that use social learning variables to cultivate positive behavior (Akers & Jensen, 2010). Examples of programs guided by social learning principles are; gang intervention and peer counseling, delinquency prevention, behavior modification, and mentoring (Akers & Jennings, 2015). These programs are meant to provide a positive experience and prevent criminal behavior.
Conclusion
In summary, social learning theory in criminal justice helps explain that certain criminal behavior such as crime, aggression, burglary, and theft are developed through an association with family and peer networks. The increasing conviction and suspicion, such as stop and seizures among African Americans, is mainly due to the association with criminals. The theory notes that people develop criminal activities through deferential reinforcement where developing criminal activity is a rewarded and opposing behavior is punished. The theory contributes to changes in law enforcement, court process in the correctional facility. Therefore, the theory has a positive impact on society since it contributes to positive behavior change and plays an important role in preventing criminal behavior through mentorship and behavioral modification programs.
Theories of criminal justice Outline
Introduction: this paragraph provides a brief description of criminal justice theory and their roles.
Thesis: This paper focuses on the social learning theory and its application in criminal justice in law enforcement, court and correctional, its positive impact and the prevention of future crimes.
Theory and current event: this section presents the social learning theory and how it accounts for the increasing conviction of the African American in criminal justice system.
The section notes that African Americans live in neighborhood that has rate of crimes and they develop criminal behavior through the association with the peer network.
The social learning theory uses differential reinforcement of crime to explain that individuals can teach others to engage in crime through punishments and reinforcement they provide as motivation
Changes in the criminal justice system
Law enforcement: Law enforcement officers can use the concepts from social learning theories to track the offender through peer association, reinforcement, and modeling that act as predictors of delinquency and crime.
Courts: The court is guided by differential reinforcement that broadly associates the individual conduct to their experiences and the anticipated consequences of their behavior.
Corrections: Positive enhancement among the inmates can be achieved when positive behavior is rewarded through actions and positive outcomes.
Positive social impact: Reducing the onset of violent behavior will focus on reducing the association of teens with delinquent peer groups where violence is modeled and rewarded.
Prevent future crime behavior: social learning theory helps policymakers develop and implement policies and changes and rehabilitative programs that use social learning variables to cultivate positive behavior.
Conclusion: This paragraph provides a conclusion to the paper.
