FOR PROF MAURICE ONLY --- Assignment 2: RA: Criminal Behavior in Your Community

Running head: CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR 0

Criminal Behavior

Sherry L. Crowe

Dr. Robert Meyer

Psychology of Criminal Behavior

FP6015

May 24, 2017

The criminal behavior that I have chosen for this is homicide. Homicide is death caused by one person taking the life of another person notwithstanding the intention of their action. Homicide is a broad term used to describe various categories of killings with murder and manslaughter being the most prevalent. Others include; euthanasia, war killings, and capital punishment. Homicide is further subdivided into criminal and non-criminal types depending on the context and laws of a particular jurisdiction (Geberth, 2013). Thereby causing some homicide behaviors to be accepted in society even by the legal system, while others will be shunned and attract huge ethical and legal sanctioning.

The legally accepted homicide includes; euthanasia in jurisdictions that accept it and capital punishment. On the other hand, one may be convicted of manslaughter homicide with or without the intent of killing as long as their action harms another person to an extent of causing death. Manslaughter may also be a result of voluntary action based on passion from emotions that blur an individual’s judgment abilities leading them to kill. In accidents, the death must occur within the first year of neglect behavior.

There are situations that call for excusable homicide. This may include killing of others by authorized persons such as law enforcement agencies in the aim of protecting a nation from its enemies. Thus, the law enforcement agencies in the country may be ordered to kill. Other situations that may call for actions involving killing may be during the prevention of crime where police officers may be forced to use deadly force to be able to protect the lives and liberties of other citizens from the harm and potential harm. Another legally accepted justification is insanity, intoxication or necessity including self-defense and that of others.

Whereas homicide is a crime committed across all social; classes, it has been found to be prevalent with poverty and other social factors such as stress. Thus, the area of focus here is the low socio-economic class that has to be underprivileged with the means to take care of their needs.

Homicide affects all people in society. However, the group of focus is the youth in society who may be pushed into committing homicide in the quest to provide for their needs (Singh, et.al, 2013). In a society that fosters unequal competition and contentions towards success in wealth and power, some youth who find role models in celebrities may be compelled into finding a means to reach their target.

Homicide and especially criminal homicide occurs in society and needs to be addressed by the society in general. This calls for awareness creation campaigns among communities and groups on homicide. Similarly, civilians need to collaborate with law enforcement agencies by reporting early signs of homicide within the community and evidence when called upon to give their testimonies. When called upon to act on a case, the police should be ready to handle the situation promptly. Having identified the major casualty as being poverty, it is necessary to initiate programs that empower youths with job skills and enhance their talents (Stansfield, Williams & Parker, 2017). Thus, it becomes a way of helping them achieve their goals in the right way. Besides, it is necessary to empower the group with life skills that will; enable them to be confident while handling crisis situations and these that provoke emotions. It may also involve learning relation techniques to help them in making rational decisions. With the elimination of poverty and awareness creation in society, there is a high likelihood of the reduction of homicides. Further, a collaboration between the police and civilians as a means of helping to reduce homicide that has proven to work.

References

Geberth, V. J. (2013). Practical homicide investigation checklist and field Guide. cRc Press.

Singh, G. K., Azuine, R. E., Siahpush, M., & Kogan, M. D. (2013). All-cause and cause-specific mortality among US youth: socioeconomic and rural–urban disparities and international patterns. Journal of Urban Health, 90(3), 388-405.

Stansfield, R., Williams, K. R., & Parker, K. F. (2017). Economic Disadvantage and Homicide: Estimating Temporal Trends in Adolescence and Adulthood. Homicide Studies, 21(1), 59-81.