Distinguishing Between Crime And Deviance

Distinguishing Between Crime and Deviance

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Distinguishing Between Crime and Deviance

Crime and deviance are both something that is considered to go against societal laws. The two could be used together in the same light but their differences are clear-cut. One is against governmental law while the other goes against society norms. The following will provide the definitions and break between the two.

The formal definitions of deviance and criminality characteristics.

The formal definition of deviance is in a sociological environment it will describe the behavior or the action that will disobey the social norms or enacted rules. Those rules are either formal or informal. Deviance can also be looked at in couple of type of activities, first is which is known as formal examples of such deviant behavior would include the following which is assault, theft, rape, robbery, and murder (Libretexts, 2020). The formal definition of criminality is a person that commits crime or someone that is considered criminal.

Deviance can be different or considered something different depending based on a surrounding event or context. Deviance plays a role by setting up what is the boundaries on behavior and serves as a defining line between members of a society and the outsiders. Deviance can be looked at as a person who is a law breaker or has a label such as a felon, drug dealer (Curra, 2016).

Depending on the environment in which a person is born and raised can be a big contributing factor on deviate behavior. I remember one time in church there was a young man there that pulled out a gun he was carrying and stated that he did not want to have to carry it anymore but he had no choice because of the neighborhood he lived in at that time was really a high crime area.

How certain predictors will factor into crime and/or deviance when it comes to age, the sex or gender, and economic status.

A strong determining factor and predictor when it comes to crime that plays a role is gender. When it comes to the representation of crimes like those of the more seriousness nature males will have a higher role than their female counterparts. Males not only have the most rates as offenders, but they are also higher when it comes to victims of certain crimes (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2020). The only thing that female has a higher victimization rate when it comes to such crimes as sexual battery or sexual assault.

Economic status does play a part when it comes to crime, people that live in a positive or favorable economy crimes in those areas will be low because there are not same factors as it will be in the area where the economy is depressed crime rate will be at a much higher rate. The act of criminality can increase or decrease and what factors this is the rise or the fall of that economy (Sarvaria, 2019).

How definitions of deviance and crime are applied in contemporary society compared to 25 and 50 years ago.

Deviance and crime in contemporary society compared to 25 and 50 years ago. Abnormality and criminal perspectives were applied diversely 25 or 50 years prior because they were applied more moderately. Qualities and convictions support similarity. For instance, if moral codes are disguised, and people are integrated with more extensive networks, people will confine degenerate acts.

Tattoos along with piercings were once frown upon by society they were once look at as unholy and profane. Today, mentalities and the perspective on tattoos have changed they have become more accepted in society (Curra, 2016).

Why do society accept the criminalization of some behaviors but not of others and why the perception of deviance or criminality may not be equally applied.

A society makes the rule of what will be considered criminalization for that society, when you have these things that may be considered criminalization in another society will not be the same in others. With the decriminalization of marijuana although recreational use is legal in such states like California and Colorado. A state maybe looking at is the cost worth them making an action criminal versus just allowing it to continue without the repercussion of the law.

A crime and a behavior that are currently looked at as deviant and how 25 years ago it would have been addressed.

The crime that is currently considered deviant is domestic violence. According to Stewart Macaulay the norms of certain social behavior is something that is often more powerful than the law (Edwards, 2006). Often the norms were considered first than the law came after this which about 25 years ago is how they would have handled such a crime as domestic violence. Today this is something that is not look at or accepted the same way as of 25 years ago. Today this crime is taken seriously because it could escalate to something as serious as murder.

One thing that is considered deviant down here in Florida because of the coronavirus is people that continue to go inside stores that refuse to wear a mask or social distance themselves from other people. As a law enforcement professional today I would just make a suggestion to them that they are entitled to feel how they feel about the mask, but if they are using an establishment that is requiring a mask I would encourage them to comply. 25 years ago, probably would have had more of voice with the use of certain figures that were very vocal during that time (Edwards, 2006).

References

Curra, J. (2016). The relativity of deviance. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE. Retrieved July 25, 2020.

Libretexts. (2020, June 03). 7.1A: Deviance. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Book:_Sociology_(Boundless)/07:_Devia

nce,_Social_Control,_and_Crime/7.01:_Deviance/7.1A:_Deviance

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) – Gender. Bjs.gov. (2020). Retrieved 26 July 2020, from

https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=955.

Edwards, M. A. (2006). Law and the Parameters of Acceptable Deviance. Journal of Criminal

Law & Criminology, 97(1), 49–100.

Sarvaria, R. (2019, July 10). Crime as a Choice: Crime and Economic Conditions. Retrieved July

26, 2020, from https://criminallawstudiesnluj.wordpress.com/2019/07/10/crime-as-a-

choice-crime-and-economic-conditions/