Problem 1
Social and economic status influence criminal behavior. The independent variable of the problem is the state of one’s economic situation while the dependent variable is criminal behavior. The American Psychological Association (n.d) noted that an individual’s social and economic status affects physical and mental health, daily activities, and living areas. Besides, one’s financial abilities would influence levels of education and poverty and may predispose one to criminal behavior. At the same time, since poverty may have significant adverse effects on the mental health of the people, it follows that the individual may be susceptible to criminal behavior. From these propositions, one can speculate that there is a relationship between social-economic status and criminal behavior.
Problem 2
The age of a person affects the probability of committing crimes. In this respect, the independent variable is the age of an individual while the likelihood of committing crimes is the dependent variable. Data shows that one is most susceptible to commit offenses of various kinds during teenage and early adulthood. During childhood, the predisposition to criminal activities tends to increase to peak during teenage and begin to drop as one enters adulthood.
During teenage, an individual is transiting from childhood to adulthood. The person finds new freedom in the independent status attached with being deemed an adult. Therefore, one may commit crimes because of little control from parents. At the same time, the person is also transiting from economic dependency to independent state. The transition may be stressful and depressing because of financial difficulties rendering one susceptible to committing crimes. During adulthood. One’s financial status stabilizes and knows how to handle matters responsibly. In this regard, there is a relationship between age and criminal behavior.
Problem 3
Capital punishment brutalizes the community. Independent variable, in this case, is capital punishment while the dependent variable is brutalization of the community. Potter (1999) stated that capital punishment has no deterrence value to criminal behavior. Further, he noted that it is discriminatory based on gender, race of the offender and victim, age, and the social-economic status of the criminal. As a result of these aspects, capital punishment tends to brutalize the communities and in the process increases homicide cases. Fundamentally, one’s behaviors depended on perceptions of the society. In this case, capital punishment makes people feel targeted because of their race, social-economic status, or age and, as a consequence, they tend to be brutal toward their perceived enemies.
Problem 4
Teaching college courses in prison would reduce crimes. Independent variable is teaching college courses in prison while the dependent variable is the reduction in crimes. Statistics shows that the rate of recidivism is high in the country. Fifteen case studies show that up to two-thirds of released criminal get rearrested in the first three years of their releases (“Recidivism,” 2016). The high rate of recidivism arises due to the hostile economic environment whereby former prisoners do not have the capacity to earn a living legally. It follows that teaching them college courses may reduce the rates significantly.
Problem 5
The justice systems harden criminals. Independent variable is the judicial system; the dependent variable is the hardening of criminal. When an individual gets incarcerated, they mix with other offenders who may teach them new ways of perpetrating crimes. Moreover, they get subjected to hardships for a prolonged time that makes one hardened up. One can hypothesize that it is because of this hardening that the rates of recidivism in the USA are high.
References
APA. (n.d.). Violence & Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved April 09, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-violence.aspx
Potter, G. (2000). Cost, Deterrence, Incapacitation, Brutalization and the Death Penalty - The Advocate: Jan. 2000. Retrieved January 0, 2016, from http://www.e- archives.ky.gov/pubs/Public_Adv/jan00/dppotter.html
Recidivism. (2016). Retrieved on April 9, 2016 from http://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm
