Crime Control Problem

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In a city that is being overrun but crime, making policies is not an easy thing to do. Throughout the city gangs are roaming the street, windows are barred up to keep people out at night, public schools are struggling to keep the youth in the system, and teen pregnancy is out of control. At its current rate, this city will not be able to function much longer unless major changes take place. When solving any problem, the first step is figuring out the cause. Crime can be caused by many things and after this source is identified, the solutions are easier to discover. In this specific city, the modern crime control theory can be used to explain the high crime rates. In the current city there are a number of “strains” that the people living there …show more content…
The first type of strain is one that is seen as unjust. If a strain is happening that is not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair, then it is more likely to lead to crime. The second type of strain is one that is high in magnitude. This means that the strain is of great significance or influence to the people of the city. The next type of strain that tends to lead to criminal behavior is a strain that is linked to low social control. If there are no influences to conform to society either through law or social pressures, and the strains that are taking place are associated with these lack of influences, the chance of these strains leading to criminal behavior is higher. The last type of strain is one that creates an incentive to commit more crime. For example, if achieving a source of income was a strain that was occurring for a lot people in the city, this strain might cause people to turn to illegitimate criminal means to achieve this income such as drugs or prostitution. If these types of strains are taking place in the city along with the key factors, it can be hypothesized that the crime rates will be very …show more content…
By using the general strain theory to explain the causes for the crime, I was able to come up with policies that could help eliminate some of the strains in the city. Over time, I can continue to add programs and adapt policies to combat the strains that appear in the city. As these strains are eliminated from the people 's lives, the crime rate will go down

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