Crime as a Social Problem

Moreover, the economy of the country is affected hence the need to solve the problem Social Psychological theory The theory states that people in a society are interlinked and influence each other’s behavior and thoughts Application of the theory in solving the problem It is through social interaction that people acquire certain behavior such as crime. therefore, when the authority have the knowledge of social psychology, they understand why people engage in crime and what can be done to eradicate the problem. Introduction Crime refers to the violation of a certain law in which one is supposed to incur a certain penalty. Moreover, a crime depicts deviation from social norms and customs that are administered by the authority. Different countries and authorities view a particular crime in different ways and depending on the intensity of the crime, the age of the offender, and the potential punishment in regard to the particular crime.

There are various causes of crime and poverty is the most important. Moreover, scholars argue that poverty is the root of all crimes (Kang, 2016). Despite being a relative term, poverty influences people to engage in corruption and opt for illegal activities to earn a living. For instance, poverty causes an individual to sell drugs, engage in prostitution, or commit suicide. Furthermore, poverty can be indirectly linked to the crime. Economic inequality is also a significant determinant of crime. Study shows that people are more likely to the committee a crime if the net cost of the punishment is lower than the potential gain (Kang 2016). As the rate of inequality continues to increase, people near the bottom in regard to income distribution tend to engage in crime due to the potential for gains.

The government has designed laws that protect Americans and ensure the different aspects of life such as physical, social, psychological, and financial are protected. However, there is no day that ends without a reported crime in the states which shows much need to be done to deter crime. In the light of motivation, an individual becomes aware of what he/she needs and gears behavior towards meeting that need. An attitude, on the other hand, is defined as learned and influences a person’s actions and thoughts. Therefore, attitude reflects a person’s approval or disapproval, or a like and a dislike. Notably, the social psychological theory assumes that human beings social behaviors are determined by real events that are taking place in their respective environment (Shalin, 2017).

For instance, if a person decides he/she wants to run for school president, the decision is made after consideration of chances of winning and the benefits of achieving the goal. Notably, if the store or the people using the drug were not present, then crime would not have taken place. Social psychological theory considers the influence of situation and disposition as the origin of criminal behavior. Additionally, criminal activities are acquired from learned behavior that people develop after interaction with the social environment (Day and Marion 2005). Learning occurs when people imitate the criminal behavior of other people or when receive positive consequences after engaging in a criminal activity. The theory can be used by law enforcers in developing techniques for interviewing suspects to convict wrongdoers (Day and Marion 2005).

Additionally, our memories can led a person into thinking that something is the true while it is not. There are several instances that suspect get wrongfully convicted which makes the public lose trust on the legal system. Therefore, rather than fighting crime the legal system seems like it is the one being involved in committing crime. Authorities ought to recognize that criminal activities and the process by which they get sustained in the society reflect social and organizational aspects of crime. Additionally, criminals have a self-identity that influences a form of crime (Hellmann and Memon 2016). While social psychological states that people learn criminal behavior from their environment, psychoanalytic theory blames criminal behavior on the conflicting part of the brain. While both theories play a significant role in explaining why people engage in crime, further studies should be done to determine why crime is higher in certain places and lower in others.