Introduction
Different criminal activities are done in society by people in different social setups. Criminal justice systems in the world tend to focus on criminal cases while giving less attention to civil cases. In every social setup, there exist different types of crimes that a given group of people commit. The Justice system has the role of defining what is criminal and prescribing appropriate punishment for each. Various forms of punishment are administered depending on the seriousness of the action or inaction that an individual commits. White-collar crimes, as well as state crimes, should be given much attention as they tend to propel the occurrence of some street crimes in the larger society. Street crimes are on the rise as many youths are idle, hence being predisposed to criminal activities. Various myths have been used to explain the existence of crime in society, and various scholars are trying to explain the reality of criminal activities. The paper analyzes how society defines crime and the myths about crime used by people in society.
Description of Crime
Different people, when asked to describe crime in society, would give varied answers as to what they think would stand out as criminal activities. Some people focus on street crimes as being the key crimes that are committed in society today. An assumption should be made to address the criminological view of some crimes committed by powerful people. Varied descriptions of crime among people stand to explain the existing divergent perspectives that people have in society. The definition of criminal activities depends on the place it is committed and the kind of person involved in the commission. Media is argued to be one of the main platforms that has brought issues relating to street crimes to the open society, making them a focus for actors in the criminal justice system. Asking 100 strangers to describe a criminal would result in understanding that people of different ages and genders in society commit crimes. The only prediction that one can obtain from this research is that many people tend to focus on topics covered in the Crimes of the Powerful. White-collar crimes ought to be rampant in society, and a need exists for all people involved in the justice system to focus on addressing such occurrences. Crimes of the powerful involve crimes committed by people in different positions of authority or who have absolute influence over a thing. Some of these crimes tend to receive less attention from the general public since a narrative relating to them is less prominent in society.
Societal Definition of Crime
The idea of defining crimes in society varies from one location to the other. It also depends on the age or gender of the individual attempting to explain what a crime is and how it has affected people in society. The process of defining what crime is in society tends to be complex and dynamic as various factors influence the whole process. Any definition ought to take into consideration factors such as cultural and political assumptions (Siregar, Siregar, & Lubis, 2020). Other legal and historical factors must be checked before one concludes that a certain activity qualifies to be a crime. Societal norms and values influence the general understanding of what can be defined as crime in society. The existence of many definitions of crime tends to influence the ability of actors in the criminal justice system to deliver services effectively in different locations.
Statement About a Crime
A criminal activity such as assault can be argued to be an action that causes physical harm to a person. It involves the use of absolute force towards another person, and this brings about external and internal injuries to the victim. Assault affects people from all backgrounds and ages in society, and this brings about the need for immediate response by security officers. Various people are involved when handling such criminal activity, and this explains that assault is a crime in society. Various investigative activities help establish the key suspects and victims of assault in society.
Myth About Crime
Various myths are presented to society, bringing about different understandings of crime and its patterns. Myths in criminal justice focus on how individuals are misled to understand what tends to be harmful to society. One of the myths about criminal activities that exist is that crimes are mostly committed by people who are poor in society (Baughman, 2021). Individuals with low-income sources are argued to be highly predisposed to criminal activities that affect society. Street children tend to be delinquents as they have few opportunities for any gainful opportunity. The myth brings about the establishment of social classes in society, bringing about inequality and wrong assumptions about the types and patterns of crime commission. The statement that poor people commit more crimes is a myth, as there exist many crimes of the powerful in society. Individuals in higher social classes are involved in crimes such as fraud and other white-collar crimes. It is hard for people to abandon the myth as poor people find it easier to commit crimes than work to earn a living.
Conclusion
A need exists for people in society to understand the realities and myths relating to criminal activities. A clear narrative should be developed to bring about a better understanding of what ought to be defined as crime and how to address crimes. Criminal justice should focus on reducing white-collar crimes that very powerful people in society commit. Empowering people with low incomes in society helps bring about equality among people, hence establishing a peaceful society. Street crimes are on the rise, and security officers should focus on establishing the factors that promote these criminal activities.
References
Baughman, S. B. (2021). Crime and the Mythology of Police. Wash. UL Rev., 99, 65.
Siregar, S. A., Siregar, G., & Lubis, M. A. (2020). Criminological Perspective Of Street Crime. Journal of Advanced Research in Dynamical and Control Systems-JARDCS, 12(6), 603-611.
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