Criminology And Social Disorganization Theory

As social disorganization has been described as the disruption and breakdown of social structures, which then results in the loss of social control in certain areas of the community; the overall goal of the social disorganization theory is to link crime rates directly to neighborhoods ecological characteristics (Bond, 2015). As it had been established at the University of Chicago during the 1920s during a time of social unrest, it became well-established during this time and has remained a prominent fixture of criminology studies for more than 75 years (Siegel, p. 185). But while, each theory of criminology focuses on the different causes of criminality, I have found this theory to be most in line with my personal beliefs as I found that criminal behavior is more often a result of environmental and neighborhood ecological characteristics.
Further, as this theory has suggested that in certain neighborhoods criminal activity is more likely to occur, it offers a unique perspective as we able to more closely examine the community characteristics that contribute to …show more content…
As I have been able to relate to and find that the Social Disorganization Theory most closely fits with my personal beliefs, there are still others who equally believe that their chosen theory better explains this phenomenon. The two theories which have maintained a good following by criminologists even today are the Biosocial and the Social Control Theory, each of which supports their philosophies and provides arguments as to why these theories are still applicable today. Nevertheless, I still maintain that the Social Disorganization Theory holds more weight in today’s environment of criminal behavior, as it is able to better explain why crime rates are higher in certain communities than