Verified Document

Preventing Crime Through Pro Social Behavior Term Paper

Reducing Crime Through Crime Prevention Crime prevention can be an effective way to reducing crime (Tiley, 2014). Increasing prison sentences, on the other hand, can be a costly means of keep criminals off the streets. Indeed, the most recent study by VERA -- Institute of Justice (2012) found that "the full price of prisons to taxpayers -- including costs that fell outside the corrections budgets -- was $39 billion, $5.4 billion more than the states' aggregate corrections department spending, which totaled $33.5 billion" (p. 6). In other words, incarceration is expensive and a drain on taxpayer funds -- funds that do not even cover the expense. Increasing incarceration times would only burden taxpayers more and add to the debt that already exists. For that reason, crime prevention should be the focus when it comes to reducing crime in the nation.

There are many ways in which crime prevention can be exercised effectively. The Broken Windows theory of crime prevention is one way. This theory asserts that when a community bands together to keep small crimes from occurring in the neighborhood, it bars the chance of large-scale crime happening. The theory views crime as a slippery slope: once it begins, it escalates quickly and communities can rapidly go downhill and descend into havens of crime. But by preventing the incremental decline in the first place and keeping the community in a constant state of equilibrium or advancement upwards, crime can be prevented. It is like nipping it in the bud or tearing it out by the roots.

The Broken Windows theory holds that vandalism and minor disturbances are the seeds of more serious acts of criminality. When vandalism, graffiti, broken windows and abandoned buildings are seen within communities, it is a sign that this sort of behavior is acceptable and that no one in the community is going to stop it -- not watch groups, not police, not a mayor or city council: no one is willing...

By eliminating the broken windows, so to speak, in a neighborhood, and making sure minor acts of vandalism are quickly corrected and the perpetrators caught and punished, a neighborhood shows that it will not allow crime to flourish. This is thus considered a preventative measure and an effective one by theorists (Wilson, Kelling, 1982).
Preventing crime is much less costly than allowing crime to happen and then incarcerating the perpetrator for extended periods of time. Plus, prevention has the added bonus of providing a positive force for society. Prevention demands upkeep and community watch groups; it demands interaction among community members so that tight-knit social organizations are formed and that they work together to take responsibility for their own neighborhoods. It reinforces the idea of pro-social behavior rather than the anti-social behavior connected to vandalism and other forms of small crime. It fosters civic activity and a sense of civic duty, whereas doing nothing and "dealing" with crime afterwards by just locking up criminals for longer does not address the issues that allow for criminals to come into being in the first place.

If one's surroundings or environment are rooted in an anti-social spirit then that is what will be fostered in the young, regardless of whether incarceration periods are extended. This stems from the concept of strain theory, which is that acts of delinquency and crime are extensions and manifestations of negatives that are nursed and facilitated by a society. An individual who is affected by these negative states essentially lashes out at the community that has allowed them to be nursed and thus commits acts of criminality within…

Sources used in this document:
References

Tiley, N. (2014). Crime Prevention. NY: Routledge.

VERA -- Institute of Justice. (2012). The Price of Prisons: What Incarceration Costs

Taxpayers. Center on Sentencing and Corrections. Retrieved from http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/price-of-prisons-updated-version-021914.pdf

Wilson, J., Kelling, G. (1982). Broken Windows: The police and neighborhood safety.
The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/03/broken-windows/304465/
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Understanding the Connection Between Child Abuse and Anti-Social...
Words: 6698 Length: 25 Document Type: Term Paper

Abused children develop antisocial behavior that persists through three continuous generations. Such behavior grows out of angry, aggressive parenting and an overall negative home environment, perpetuated by sibling collusion, economic and biological factors. These children exhibit this in preschool by committing at least one antisocial behavior each day in class. As dysfunctional adolescents, their romantic lives and eventual marriages also fail. African-American children suffer from the affliction than Caucasian children.

Crime Versus Sin
Words: 2183 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Crime vs. Sin A criminal justice agency, specifically the police department relies very heavily on its organization to fulfill its duties to society, which is to protect from crime and to serve justice (Kenney & McNamara, 1999). The justice which is to be served depends on the severity of the offense or crime. Crime is quite a complex subject which can be divided into two different categories: natural crime and legal

Crime the Purpose of This
Words: 2753 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Many people using illicit and illegal drugs often have no impulse control and may turn violent or to another form of crime. Once an individual's mind is altered from the constant use of drugs, he or she will often steal, lie, and cheat to make the next dollar to obtain more drugs. Many people could share family related drug stories that have led to criminal activities. About 10 years ago,

Head Start Social Control Theory
Words: 2829 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Head Start, Social Control Theory For America's, nursery children in the ages of three years to five years and who belong to the low-income families, a complete services of progress including social services for their poor families is offered by a nationwide plan called Head Start. To meet particular requirements, about 1,400 community-based non-profit associations and school systems work out exclusive and novel programs. In 1965 the Head Start was started

Crime Victims
Words: 2804 Length: 9 Document Type: Question Answers

CRIME VICTIMS Crime Victims: An IntroductionThe particular problems faced by persons who experience hare crime are broadly characterized by the trauma and fear they go through resulting from the crime (Reilich & Chermak, n.a.). The fear of visiting outside places might increase within the victim�s and his family�s minds and he might be constrained to his home.The seriousness of cyberstalking could be estimated from the physical and mental effects it

Social Networking Privacy Online Privacy
Words: 3284 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

But research is very mixed on what that answer is when the data is voluntarily revealed. For example, if someone "likes" Apple on Facebook and Apple then in turn markets Apple products to that person, it should be asked whether Apple is acting improperly. Companies with products that compete with Apple could do the same thing. Research bears out that this question comes down to personal and professional ethics

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now