Community Dynamics and Crime Prevention

The ability of a community to work together to maintain order and safety. This involves trust, shared responsibility, and a willingness to intervene when necessary.

Neighbors and family members enforcing positive behaviors, such as looking after each other's homes. This can reduce crimes like burglary.

Effective social institutions, like schools, churches, and recreation centers, that promote trust and cohesion, and support youth to prevent gang involvement.

The role of external resources, like police presence, in maintaining order and safety. Stable neighborhoods have access to resources and police support, while disorganized areas struggle.

The act of showing kindness and compassion to others, promoting respect and sensitivity within a community.

The interconnectedness of residents in a community, which provides them with support and reduces crime rates. Strong connections are vital for safety and well-being.

Communities that emphasize care and support for their members tend to have lower crime rates.

The process of replacing or upgrading obsolete housing, often leading to changes in the social and economic makeup of a neighborhood

Neighborhoods with high poverty, weak social controls, and unstable structures lack community support, thus increasing the risk of criminal behavior for adolescents.

Children who experience inconsistent discipline or lack parental support struggle to adapt to societal norms and are more likely to engage in deviant behavior.

Adolescents in disadvantaged environments often experience strain, leading to frustration, alienation, and a feeling of powerlessness.

Commitment to family, school, and work protects youth from crime by providing positive influences and reducing exposure to negative ones.

Individuals who begin engaging in criminal activities early in life, often due to factors like weak social bonds and exposure to deviant behavior.

Individuals who begin committing crimes later in life, potentially due to specific circumstances or situational pressures.

Individuals who hold beliefs that normalize or justify deviant behavior are more likely to engage in criminal activities.

A state of social instability caused by a breakdown of norms and values. It arises when there's a mismatch between societal goals and the means to achieve them.

Individuals who perceive deviant acts as easy and beneficial are more likely to engage in them, especially if they lack strong pro-social bonds.

The networks of relationships that provide emotional, practical, and informational assistance to individuals. Strong social support can reduce crime rates, especially violent crimes.

Anomie can lead to increased rates of crime and delinquency as individuals seek alternative means to achieve societal goals.

Significant societal upheavals, like pandemics, can create anomic conditions, as established norms are challenged and new patterns of behavior emerge. This can lead to increased crime.

A theory explaining anomie as a result of a gap between societal goals and the legitimate means to achieve them. This can lead individuals to adapt by resorting to criminal behavior.

Programs specifically designed to support individuals transitioning back into communities. These programs can help reduce recidivism and improve public safety.

Strong social bonds, like those with family and teachers, can help reduce feelings of vulnerability to crime. This is known as social capital.

This theory views crime as a result of power struggles and inequalities in society. It argues that laws are created and enforced by those in power to protect their interests.

Marx believed that crime is a product of social inequality and the capitalist system. He saw criminal justice as a tool used to control and maintain the status quo.

Engels viewed crime as a consequence of social demoralization. He argued that the capitalist system breeds crime and violence among the working class.

Bonger believed that society is divided into 'haves' and 'have-nots,' not based on individual abilities but due to the capitalist system.

Dahrendorf argued that society is structured by power dynamics. He labeled those with authority as 'imperatively coordinated' and those without as 'dominated.'

Vold argued that crime occurs when different groups with competing interests struggle for power and control.

This theory analyzes how power structures influence the criminal justice system, showing how crime definitions favor the powerful and create inequalities.

The unequal distribution of power and wealth creates conflict and resentment. Those in power use their influence to shape public opinion and control others.

Quinney argued that criminal definitions are influenced by changing social conditions, emerging interests, and the need to protect economic and political power.

According to Turk, social conflict is inevitable because people resist norms and rules that don't benefit them.

This approach critiques mainstream criminology for its conservative stance and focuses on the role of power and inequality in the creation and enforcement of crime.

Chambliss studied two juvenile gangs, highlighting how social class influences how they are perceived and treated by the justice system.

Marxist criminology examines the relationship between crime, ownership, and control of property in capitalist societies.

Marx argued that each society produces its own types and levels of crime, has its own ways of dealing with it, and ultimately gets the crime it deserves.

This law expanded the definition of 'racketeering' to include various criminal activities like murder, kidnapping, gambling, and drug trafficking. It is designed to disrupt and prosecute organized crime groups.

This Canadian law allows police to seize property acquired through criminal proceeds.

Crimes that involve actions harming no specific person but violate societal norms or morality. Examples include prostitution or drug use.

Society's changing views on morality can lead to legal changes. For instance, the recognition of LGBTQ+ rights demonstrates how laws evolve with changing views.

This view states that shared moral values are essential for society to function, and without them, society would collapse.

Individuals who believe their views are right and take action to impose them on others, often through aggressive tactics. They create moral crusades.

A form of taking the law into one's own hands, often associated with moral crusades. Examples include censoring books or protesting controversial figures.

Laws targeting moral offenses, like prostitution or pornography, often face challenges due to public division on the morality of the acts. This creates a moral divide within society.

Changing prostitution laws in Canada shifted the focus from criminalizing sex workers to prosecuting customers (johns) and pimps who exploit them. This aimed to address past gender discrimination in the laws.

In 2016, there was a significant drop in prostitution-related offences in Canada. This was likely due to legal changes and shifting law enforcement priorities.

In 2021, prostitution-related offences continued to decline in Canada, showing a trend towards less legal intervention in sex work.

Street-level sex workers are often the most vulnerable, facing poverty, addiction, and exploitation. They are often young, from marginalized backgrounds and at risk of violence.

B-girls are typically found in bars, waiting for customers. They serve as part of a social environment often involving drinking and entertainment.

Call girls are considered the 'aristocrats' of the sex trade, with higher fees and often catering to upper-class clients.

Many street sex workers are ethnic minorities or come from backgrounds marked by abuse and poverty, highlighting the intersectionality of their struggles.

The decline suggests a shift in legal and social priorities, focusing less on criminalizing sex workers themselves and more on addressing exploitation and violence.