Writing Homework Help

1) Which theories do you believe better explain all types of crime—biological theories, or strain theories? Looking across the board, are criminals more likely to share biological characteristics (such as mental illness and increased levels of testosterone), or are they more likely to share social traits (being raised in broken homes, living in poverty, lacking education, etc.)? Be sure to cite the sources of your information or statistics.

***Use the GCU Library for sources (https://library.gcu.edu/ )

The DQ response must be at least 200 words and should have at least one reference in APA format

2) Write a 100-word response to each student in first person as if you were writing it to the students. Talk about how you agree with their ideas and add your own thoughts. Make sure it’s respectful.

Student1) According to the Criminal Behavior Theories, Biological and Biosocial Theories: Addressing Root Causes Classical biological theories of criminality stated that people are “born criminals” who cannot be deterred from committing crimes: Whether due to mental or physical disability, criminals cannot learn to control themselves. The theories I believe that better explains all types of crime is strain theories, researchers who study the relationship of environmental toxins to crime argue that our environment is producing crime by producing neurological damage. Scholars emphasize the fact that minority populations and lower-income groups are the ones most likely to live near these facilities and as a result are more likely than white and higher-income groups to be negatively impacted by these toxins. This, according to the researchers, may help explain why minorities and people from the lower classes seem to catch the attention of the criminal justice system in higher rates than others. being raised in broken homes, living in poverty, lacking education, etc. can definitely can be a huge factors of criminal behavior. Fatherless families with mother’s unable or unwilling to provide necessary affection, fighting and domestic violence, inadequate child supervision and discipline, and mistreatment of children are all common characteristics of broken families that also contribute to criminal activity. 70% OF CRIMINALS ARE FROM BROKEN HOMES, EXPERT SAYS. A Lehigh University psychology professor says that psychological, physiological and socioeconomic factors contribute most to crime in society. The life course literature has long acknowledged the role of family formation in redirecting criminal paths. Men who as juveniles were involved in crime and delinquency are less likely to persist in criminal involvement if and when they become married (Sampson and Laub 1995). The family literature recognizes the impact of repeated family structure change on the children who experience it. Above and beyond having been raised in a single-parent household, or having experienced parental divorce, experiencing family instability appears to undermine educational outcomes, problematizes one’s transition to adulthood, and contributes to risky and delinquent behavior (Fomby and Cherlin 2007, Fomby et al. 2010, Fomby 2013, Fomby and Bosick 2013, Lee and McLanahan 2015, Wu and Martinson 1993). The extent to which these setbacks persist into adulthood is less clear.

References:

Bosick, S., & Fomby, P. (2018). Family Instability in Childhood and Criminal Offending during the Transition into Adulthood. The American behavioral scientist, 62(11), 1483–1504. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764218787000

Criminal behavior THEORIES: Kent State University. Criminal Behavior Theories | Kent State University. (n.d.). https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/sociology/criminal-justice/community/criminal-behavior-theories.