Conflict Criminology Theories in Gang Involvement
Early gang involvement is one of the most alarming tendencies of the last several decades. The adverse peer influence contributes to the shifting age boundaries while criminals become younger and younger. The
findings state that the criminal involvement cannot be applied solely to the disadvantaged or economically unstable countries as the Sub-Saharan regions in Africa. The research suggests that among the three selected
conflict criminal theories a social conflict is the best potential explanation of the gang involvement and the early entry into the criminal world. The theory of racial profiling works as a contributory one though does not fully traces the origin of the emerging conflict and predominantly deals with the outcomes of the social conflict.
The examination of the issue is performed owing to its actuality and compliance with the modern criminology theories exploring it. The research into the origin of the gangs and their initial goals enables preventing the
youngsters from following a dangerous path and avoiding the prison overcrowding concerning the rising incarceration rate. The rationalizing of the gang actions though the three selected criminal theories serves the
best potential method of exploring the origin and preventive measures to minimize it.
The selected criminal theories belong to the conflict criminology branch, including social conflict theory, social control theory and racial profiling theory. They were selected in accordance with the criteria as actuality, explanatory basis, recent research availability and certain interrelation between them. On the one hand, the theories do not basically contradict each other that makes their comparison easier. On the other, this leaves much space to observing their scale and explanatory potential. The personal explicating choice is social conflict theory as the one of the oldest while all-inclusive methods of tracing social deviance as a result of disadvantage, ignorance, and social welfare unavailability.
Theories Summary
The three theories are the part of the larger knowledge proper called “conflict criminology theories.” The conflict trend stands for an opposition to consensus theory that argues the law is a reflection of the general societal agreement. On the contrary, conflict emphasizes the initial societal disintegration where one group is predominant over the other. With the conflict at its core, the theory explains criminal behavior as an act of incompliance with the generally accepted “norms.” A law, in this case, cannot be observed as an overwhelming greater good, as it becomes a product of the currently powerful social group that forms it to maintain and preserve its interest.
Thus, the three theories-in-question sound as follows. A social conflict theory implemented by George Vold implies society as competing …
