D.Nagel-Week 1
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Desiree Nagel posted Feb 6, 2024 4:37 PM
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Question 1
With the ever-evolving changing nature of crime. The impacts on Criminology will force Criminologists to delve far deeper into the social constructs of society and it will also warrant further research into psychological and biological causations. Some Criminal Justice Theories are here to stay forever such as Rational Choice Theory and one of the most well-known Sociology Theories which is The Strain Theory(Byrne & Hummer 2016). To continue to explain the why and who of crime; new theories will have to be formulated to keep up with the technological advances of crime. For example, we have serious threats to our critical infrastructures, government entities such as the military-industrial complex, and to our personal lives. Cyber Crimes are serious crimes that can have and have had serious repercussions. Cybercriminals are getting harder to detect when the individuals perpetrating the crimes have exceptionally advanced knowledge of computer systems and can attack anything from personal computers, to cell phones or change traffic signals for fun. On a greater scale of destruction, some state and nonstate terrorist hackers do have the ability to access highly encrypted computer systems to shut down the power grid in any given area of the United States. “As cyber-criminology and cybersecurity are both concerned with the study of online harms and responses to such harms, it would be logical to assume that these fields share many theoretical and empirical approaches. Upon a closer examination, however, it becomes clear that they are more accurately understood as two discrete academic fields, each mobilising differentiated conceptual frameworks, research questions, datasets, publication outlets, and career paths(Dupont & Whelan, 2021).” This quote directly points to the fact that advances in crime such as cyber security threats have forced the minds of criminologists to think in nonlinear ways.
Question 2
Criminological research can have a big impact on social policymaking when the policymakers listen to understand the empirical data that various Criminologists have disseminated. However, it is imperative to understand that social policy and Criminological research have different goals and are affected by varying factors(Knepper, 2007). For example, a social policy can be changed because of political and cultural factors. Criminological research is less affected by those factors because it is looking to explain the issues within those constructs using its theories. The “Tough on Crime Punishments ” which are derived from the Rational Choice Theory. State that if a punishment is harsh enough then that punishment will deter others from committing the same and or similar crimes(Kent State University, 2018). Academia has realized that the previous thoughts harkening back to Cesare Beccaria and the somewhat misunderstanding of what he said about swift and appropriate punishments. Academia has reexamined the thought process and worked to better execute the philosophy of Beccaria. But social policy change is good at being exceptionally slow. For example, someone who is dealing drugs can easily have a longer prison sentence than someone who was convicted of murder. This particular example is an exceptionally sticky one but it can be argued that someone who acted with intent on killing someone should meet a harsher punishment than someone who distributed an in-demand product but had no intent on killing anyone even if those drugs did kill people.
References:
Byrne, J., & Hummer, D. (2016). An Examination of the Impact of Criminological Theory on Community Corrections Practice. https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/80_3_2_0.pdf
Dupont, B., & Whelan, C. (2021). Enhancing relationships between criminology and cybersecurity. Journal of Criminology, 54(1), 000486582110039. https://doi.org/10.1177/00048658211003925
Kent State University. (2018, October 31). MAJOR CRIMINOLOGY THEORIES AND HOW THEY AFFECT POLICY. Kent.edu. https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/sociology/criminal-justice/community/criminal-behavior-theories
Knepper, P. (2007). Criminology and Social Policy. SAGE Knowledge; SAGE Publications Ltd. https://sk.sagepub.com/books/criminology-and-social-policy/n1.xml#d8
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