Causation of Crime

I have chosen to compare and contrast choice theories and social process theories. I believe that these two theories are very different from each other. In the choice theory it states that everyone has the ability to be a criminal. It states that everyone has an ultimate choice in deciding whether or not to commit a crime, and by deciding if the rewards are going to be greater than the consequences. In the second theory it is believed that individuals are drawn to crime by the people that that are surrounded with. The theory states that crime is a learned behavior and that juveniles who are raised around crime are more likely to be involved in crime. The theory also states that when juveniles are labeled as delinquents or criminals by authority figures they will be more likely to create a personality and actions to fill the label.

I have chosen the case against Charles Cullen. I believe that his crime spree is connected to the choice theory. I believe this because I am pretty sure that Charles was aware of the consequences that would arise if he were to be caught committing the murders. I also believe that he felt the reward he was being given in exchange for the murders was power. He continued his reign of power until he was caught and also confessed to many more deaths so that he would receive a lesser sentence, which I believe also made him feel a sense of power.

I think that this crime trend is a violent crime trend. I have done some research at the Bureau of Justice and located some statistics on violent crime in Arizona. The source states that in the year of 2003 there were 5.4 million violent crimes reported in Arizona. The violent crimes that were committed were as follows: rape, various types of assaults, and theft/robbery. I believe that these types of violent crimes are related to the choice theory. I also believe that most of these crimes are usually committed in hopes that they will not be caught and be able to keep the rewards. Crime rates are calculated by the number of crimes per 100,000 residents. The crime rate in Arizona has increased due to the higher population. Arizona's violent crime rate from 2002 to 2003 was 513.2 ranking Arizona #13 in the nation.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey Reports, 1993-2003

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