607 Crime Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

When writing a research paper about criminology or law, you have to consider your topic carefully. Our team came up with 465 titles, along with some crime essay examples to assist you in your assignment.

🏆 Best Crime Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

👍 good crime topics for essays, ✅ simple & easy topics about crime, 💡 most interesting crime topics to write about, 📌 useful crime topics for essays, 📑 interesting crime topics, ❓ crime research questions.

  • Unemployment Leads to Crime Essay In the 1990s, the rate of unemployment was low and so was the rate of property crime. Crime rates increase steadily in society, and the rate of crime is connected to unemployment and low wages.
  • Youth Crime as a Major Issue in the World The relationships that exist in the families of the youths could facilitate the indulgence in criminal activities for example when the parents are involved in crime, when there is poor parental guidance and supervision, in […]
  • Applying Developmental Theories of Crime to Jeffrey Dahmer In the framework of this theory, Dahmer’s obsession with dissecting animals and necrophilic fantasies from a young age are not connected to the other events in his life but are simply manifestations of his latent, […]
  • Impact of Crime on Wider Society Therefore, just as some organs in the body can be removed in order to improve the health of a person, the people who cause problems in the society can also be removed so that the […]
  • The Effects of Mass Media Glorifying Crime and Criminal Lifestyle Crime has and will dominate popular media, ranging from the traditional police and detective shows/movies to documentaries, and more recently the ‘true crime’ genre or psychological thrillers attempting to tell the story from the perspective […]
  • Three Pathways to Crime Identified by Loeber It encompasses an account of an individual’s past in the course of time of problem behavior in a continuing increment of seriousness of problem behavior.
  • Technology for Crime Prevention With the modern computer technology and advanced software, criminal justice system has been in a capacity to compile data and store it as well as share its analysis with other agencies both in and out […]
  • Chris Watts and His Murder Crimes Watts pleaded guilty to the killings of his children and wife. Watts concluded the interview by saying he was sorry and repented for his actions after seeking refuge in God.
  • Frankston Serial Killer: Background, Crimes, and Motives At the time, the police noted that Denyer was with his girlfriend. The letter claimed that Denyer knows his whereabouts, and that he was planning to break out of prison to kill him.
  • Types of Crime Analysis The goals of tactical analysis are to recognize crime trends and to develop the best suited strategies to address them. This is a matter of great concern and the department would inquire more into the […]
  • Displacement: Crime Prevention It refers to circumstances where crime intervention efforts make the cost of committing an offense greater than the benefits accruing from the crime.
  • The Impact of Social Media on the Rise in Crime For example, Jones cites revenge porn, or the practice of publishing a partner’s intimate contact on social media, as one of the results of social media use.
  • Marxists and Functionalists’ Views on Crime and Deviance Also, the essay seeks to explain why people commit crimes in reference to a social and political transition, poverty, globalization of crime and state bureaucracy in order to evaluate the most effective conceptual approach to […]
  • International Organized Crime: The 14K Triads in Hong Kong Being one of the largest transnational criminal organizations globally, the 14K does not depend on the strict structure, operates according to the principles of secrecy, and it is rather difficult to bring the organization to […]
  • Crime TV: How Is Criminality Represented on Television? The public’s views and comprehension of crime are heavily influenced by television, the internet, and print media, which can spread the message about the exaggerated danger to society.
  • Social Theories of Crime in Explaining Gang Violence This theory incorporates the strain theory as well as the social disorganization it points out that as a result of strain and societal segregation there is a particular culture that establishes for the low income […]
  • Suspect, Crime Scene, and the Victim: Evidence Triangle In every crime investigation, it is mandatory that the evidence gathered be adequate to draw the link between the suspect, crime scene and the victim.
  • Solving the Issue of Crime As the director of the county juvenile court, the research question related to the problem at hand should state as follows: What are cost effective methods of solving the proliferation of violent street gangs in […]
  • Social Cultural Causes of Crime There is need to highlight the social cultural factors of crime and describe the necessary positive measures to prevent the occurrences of crime.
  • White Collar Crime Parties affected by the crime and how it affects them White collar criminals place more emphasis on their personal needs than their organization’s to the point of downplaying the real costs of their actions.
  • Why Does Crime Exist in Society? Philosophically this is the equivalent of saying that without evil one would not recognize good, and while this is evident in the criminal world and the world of law, it only provides some explanation as […]
  • Parental Responsibility for Crimes of Children Parents should be held responsible for the crime of their children because in most cases criminal involvement of children is the result of lack of parental control.
  • Infamous Crimes: Laci Peterson’s Murder Even during the war in Iraq, the search for her and the ultimate arrest of Scott Peterson led the news. Her cell phone and purse were still in the house, and a neighbor said she […]
  • White Collar Crimes From a Marxist Criminological Perspective Marxist criminologists interpret it in the following way: “…the crimes of the upper class exert a greater economic toll on society than the crimes of the ‘ordinary people’”.
  • Youth Crime According to Conflict Theory The second one is that the youth might engage in criminal activities and violence due to misappropriation of resources, lack of jobs, and inadequate strategies to meet their social needs.
  • Consequences of Committing Crime These factors affect the behavior of an individual and might lead them to criminal activities depending on the effect of the overall combination of the elements mentioned above.
  • An Epidemic of Knife Crime in the UK In the case of the former, it is evident that social class plays a key role in the emergence of knife crimes across the UK.
  • Youth Crime in Functionalism and Conflict Theories The analysis will focus on determining factors contributing to youth engagement in criminal acts, examining the types of delinquencies they are likely to commit, and establishing the socio-psychological facets associated with the teenagers in the […]
  • Crimes Against Property, Persons, and Public Order The least in ranking is crimes against public order for they have no serious repercussions to lives and livelihood of the involved people.
  • The Cause of the Crime Since it takes a lot of time and resources to get involved in crime, it is evident that involvement in crime is entirely due to decision of the person to gain the rewards that are […]
  • Bernie Madoff Ponzi’s Crime Scheme The image of the American Dream and the Strain Theory works in reverse as well: if a person fails to possess lots of quantifiable treasure, then the social order will consider him as a disappointment.
  • Campus Crimes Types and Causes According to the college administrators’ records, crimes in campuses were minimal in the 19th century and in the early 20th century.
  • Zodiac Movie: Crime, Media Reporting and Ethics The development of the events and the rise of the killer’s popularity began as soon as the reporters of the San Francisco Chronicle received and discovered the letter with threats to American society.
  • Crimes Against Person Cases of murder falls in the rule of felony murder which is well stipulated by the constitution of any given country and the penalty is administered depending on whether the case was committed in an […]
  • The Influence of Peer Groups on Youth Crime The impact of youth crime on the community is profound, and so is the influence of criminal behavior on the lives of adolescents.
  • Developmental Crime Prevention Developmental crime prevention is a subsystem of special criminological crime prevention, the target of which is the pre-criminal forms of deviant and delinquent behavior of minors.
  • “The Functions of Crime” by Emile Durkheim In the article “The Functions of Crime”, Emile Durkheim argues clearly that crime should be treated and analyzed as a normal aspect of a given society.
  • Social Disorganization and Crime Social disorganization can be conceptualized as the incapability of the community structure to attain the common values of its members and maintain effective social controls, or as the failure and degeneration of social institutions and […]
  • The Genre of Crime and Gangster Movies The gangster movies always tend to idolize the gangster figures with a relation to the sinister activities that always define crime and the lifestyles of the gangsters.
  • Crime Scene Investigation in Criminal Justice In the process of controlling the crowd and maintaining order with the aid of the police officers, I took some photographs of the surrounding and then approached the main spot of event. I managed to […]
  • Relationship Between Crime Rates and Poverty This shows that the strength of the relationship between the crime index and people living below the line of poverty is.427.
  • Cultural Criminology: Inside the Crime To facilitate an understanding of cultural criminology, it is essential to consider such ideas as crime as culture, culture as crime, the media constructions of crime control and corruption, and political dimensions of culture, crime, […]
  • Crime: What Modifies the Human Acts? A young man entering medical school has, as proximate and intermediate ends, the passing of his exams, and the advance from the first to the second class; more remote ends are the exams and classes […]
  • Statistics of Crime Costs to the UK Healthcare The statistic is describing the claims by Labour that the NHS uses 500 million a year to treat wounds caused by knife crimes.
  • Cyber Bullying and Positivist Theory of Crime Learning theory approaches to the explanation of criminal behavior have been associated with one of the major sociological theories of crime, the differential association theory.
  • The Drug Crime Story of the Stickup Kids In the first part, Contreras situates the participants in the historical context of New York and the South Bronx, the epicenter of the rise of the crack-cocaine trade.
  • Cybercrime and Cyber-Related Crimes The introduction of computer technology has created room for cyber crimes and cyber related crimes that have caused many people pain and losses to the society.
  • Functionalist Approach to Deviance and Crime This paper looks at the functionalist approach to the explanation of the causes of deviance and crime. Some level of deviance is however healthy as it leads to better adaptation of the society.
  • Andrew Luster’s Crime and Media Attention Henry Luster, a psychiatrist, and Elizabeth Luster, the parents of Andrew Luster. The film concluded with a snapshot of Luster and an appeal for witnesses to his whereabouts to notify authorities.
  • “Sisters in Crime: The Rise of the New Female Criminal” by Adler This includes the extent, nature, control and cause of crime in the society. It focuses on supernaturalism in the definition and address of crime in society.
  • Factors Influencing the Commission of Crime Some of the factors that contribute to the decision-making of the offender are based on time constraints, the ability of the information available, agreeing with the offender’s plans as well as the availability of favorable […]
  • Capital Punishment and Deterrence of Crime For the case of murder or crimes that necessitate capital punishment, the incentive to commit murder is directly related to the uncertainties that punishments for the crime will generate.
  • Aileen Wuornos’ Background and Crimes Aileen Wuornos began her series of murders in 1989. For a short period, she killed seven people, and all of them were men.
  • Criminology: Application of Crime Theories For an action to amount to crime, there has to be a breach of law followed by the administration of punishment by the state to the accused.
  • The Evolution of Behavioral and Cognitive Development Theories of Crime Behavioral theory is based upon the principles of behavioral psychology and is the basis for behavior modification and change. This theory is founded on the belief that the way in which people organize their thoughts […]
  • CCTV Cameras: Surveillance and the Reduction of Crime The present paper will seek to argue that greater surveillance is not a desirable answer to the problem of crime and that other solutions are required to reduce crime rates in the long term.
  • Organized Crime – John Gotti’s Analyze He argues that the American social structure and its structure of wealth distribution and that dream of achieving the ‘American dream’ all require crime to maintain social stability in the face of structural inequality.
  • The Phases of a Crime and Their Importance in Psychological Profiling Attempt and accomplishment, the third and fourth phases of a crime respectively, differ in the sense that an attempt is a failed crime.
  • Crime in Canada: Causes, Regulation and Legislation There are those activities that are universally accepted to constitute a crime, however, what might be considered the crime in one society is not necessarily applied in a different society; for instance, looking at a […]
  • The Impact of the Internet on Traditional Crime How the Internet helps the criminals The advancement in the modern computer technologies and the Internet has put radical changes in the concept of information and the mode of exchanging the data.
  • How Biochemical Conditions and Brain Activity are Linked to Crime Studies have shown that areas with high rates of homicide and other forms of violence had a lot of lead in the air.
  • Crimes in Biological, Psychological, Sociological Theories With the course of time, people also started paying attention not to the very commitment of crimes but to the triggers that made a person act in a particular way.
  • Drug, Crime and Violence This essay offers a brief discussion of how the abuse of illegal drugs is related to both crime and violence. It is prudent to mention that drug and violence have been noted to be closely […]
  • Crime and Deviance Crime is an act that is against the norm of a society and the registered law of the entire country. A person is usually taken to the court of law where the offence is listened […]
  • White Collar Crimes: Bernard Madoff Ponzi Scheme A Ponzi scheme is a white collar crime in which the perpetrator encourages people to invest in a business and promises high dividends within a short period of time.
  • Anti Money Laundering and Financial Crime There are a number of requirements by the government on the AML procedures to be developed and adopted by the firms in the financial service in industry in an attempt to fight the illegal practice.
  • Cyber-Bullying Is a Crime: Discussion It is easy to see the effects of cyber-bullying but it is hard to find out who is the bully making it hard for authorities to pin the blame on the perpetrator of a crime […]
  • Processing a Crime Scene That is why, for the effective investigation, it is important to take all the necessary crime scene processing measures correctly, and the role of the first responding officer is particularly significant.
  • Substance Abuse and Crime Logically, it is still not possible to prove the theories that correspond to criminal behaviour studies and consequently the correctness and relevancy of the theories vary in application depending on the strain of the situation, […]
  • Sentencing Philosophies in Crime That makes it difficult to know how severe the crime is in relation to the sentence. The objectives of sentencing are to protect society.
  • The British Crime Survey’s Strengths and Weaknesses The British Crime Survey’s main purpose is to check the crime level and the number of affected people in England. The investigation performed by the British Crime Survey is in the form of an interview, […]
  • Anthropological Theory of Crime Criminal law is a division of law that elucidates crimes, describes their nature and defines available punishment for a criminal offense.
  • Investigating Crimes against Property According to the Uniform Crime Report of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, there are about 9,767,915 cases of property crimes reported in America annually.
  • Approaches to Crime Prevention The objective of the criminal justice system is to ensure proper enforcement of the standards of conduct in protecting the rights of the individuals and the community in a free society.
  • The Major Theories of Crime Causation The survival of any civilization hinges on the establishment of laws and codes of conduct and the subsequent obeying of the same by the members of the society.
  • The Relationship Between Wealth Distribution and Crime Rates According to Anser et al, the levels of crime and violence in the community depend on the difference between the risks or costs and potential gains.
  • The Community Policing Impact on Juvenile Crime Moreover, the involvement of the police when it comes to community activities and narrowing the gap between law enforcement and youth is also related to criminal activity in the region.
  • Crime Prevention and Risk Management This brochure will outline some basic notions of risk management and assessment and crime and victimization prevention; additionally, it will provide the reader with some basic strategies of daily risk management and include sources for […]
  • TV Violence, Increasing Crime Levels and Child Aggression Most of the proponents of that theory state that by witnessing a certain behavior in fiction people become more prone to repeating it in real life. One of the powers these advancements have given us […]
  • Crimes and Criminal Tendencies: Cause and Effect The school makes demands of control, discipline, and accountability which are difficult for the low self-control student to meet, and, for this reason, early school leaving is a result of low self-control, not a cause […]
  • Crime Causes in Sociological Theories The former can be characterized as the outcome of the constructive or adverse influence of rewards/ penalties on the individual’s behavior.
  • The Most Effective Crime Prevention Strategies in the Past Two Decades The conditions are; the desire of the criminal to carry out an offence, the opportunity to carry out the crime and finally the possession of skills and tools necessary for commitment of the crime.
  • Current Trends in Globalization of Crime Hence, the major cause of the drugs smuggling routes over the U.S.-Mexico border is still the discrepancies between the U.S.and Mexican drug enforcing legislation as well as the lack of cross-border cooperation.
  • Document Falsification Crime and Response to It The crime is often described as a white color crime as the modification of documents is primarily used for illegal monetary benefits and deception of others. The current response to falsified documents is sufficient and […]
  • American Serial Killer Joseph Paul Franklin’s Crimes The reason for changing his name as because he wanted to join the Rhodesian Army and due to his criminal background, he was forced to change the name. The couple were killed and Franklin confessed […]
  • Note-Taking and Crime Scene Photography Concerning the effectiveness of notes, generally, they should contain a high level of detail, and straightforwardness and cover all areas of the crime scene.
  • Hacking as a Crime and Related Theories The move to embrace the novel technology has led to the emergence of a new form of crime and behavior referred to as “hacking”. Today, the term is used to refer to individuals engaged in […]
  • Crime Prevention Strategies and Quality of Life The aim of crime prevention strategies is to create conditions that cut the chances and motivation for crime, transforming the capability of the criminal justice system to handle crimes.
  • Cyber Crimes: Court – United States vs. Ancheta Reasoning: The jury argued that the defendant conspired to violate the Computer Fraud Abuse Act as well as the CAN-SPAM Act, caused havoc to computer networks of the national defense department of the federal government, […]
  • Crime and Delinquency, Eric Smith’s Case Thus the psychological problems that smith developed were due to the experiences he had gone through the courtesy of his bright red hair, freckles, and speech problems.
  • Age-Crime Relationships and Motivations Of the three major factors outlined by basis theory, opportunities availability is the most determinant factor of crime commission among the youths as lack of jobs makes them engage in criminal activities in order to […]
  • Does Drug Interdiction Increase or Decrease Drug-Related Crime? Thesis: Drug interdiction helps to reduce drug-related crime by reducing the flow of drugs into the country and by disrupting the flow of funds into the hands of the terrorists.
  • Crime and Punishment in Texas As for the number of prisoners, Texas has the highest number of them, and this is due to the fact that it is one of the states with the highest population in the United States.
  • The First Officer at Crime Scene One should perfectly realize the fact that the crime scene investigation is an extremely important and, at the same time, complex process that determines the success of the whole case and contributes to the improved […]
  • Corporate Crime – BP Oil Spill The spill contributed to the disruption of the ecosystem and the wildlife, these included both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. This contributed to the loss of life, environmental pollution and health issues among others.
  • Street Crime in Australia As such, it follows suit that crime, and to be specific street crime, must be analyzed in the context of how it is related to the society as a whole but not in isolation5.
  • Prohibition and the Rise of Organized Crime In the 1920s, the United States was facing worrying rates of crime that called for the intervention of the Congress to avert the situation.
  • Concepts and Reasons of Violent Crimes in Modern Society The environment has specifically been pointed out to be influential in the case of corporate affairs whereby the risk of exposure of huge corruption claims may lead to elimination of the whistle blowers.
  • Electronic Crime: Online Predators on Facebook Facebook, as one of the many social network sites, will be addressed in this paper and after looking at the dangers that such sites pose to the contemporary world, a conclusion will be arrived at […]
  • “Making Crime Pay” by Katherine Beckett The writer suggests that even if the call for tougher penalties is seen as the answer to the problem, those calling for these penalties are not necessarily affected by the rising crime. There is need […]
  • Crime Reporting in Irish Media The impact of the increase in crime reporting is the rise in worrisome behaviors among the citizens. On the other hand, there is an increase in crime rates, especially cyber crimes and sexual offenses.
  • Sociological Perspectives on Crimes of Power: Enron Selfish ambitions of people are dangerous to the organization because this will lead to the downfall of the company in the long run as it happened with Enron.
  • Generalisation of Persons Who Commit Crime The generalisation about the people who commit crime indicates flaws in the processes of thinking and possible outcomes. It appears that the society chooses to pay attention to crime committed by specific groups, such as […]
  • Natural and Legal Crime Conceptual Distinction Natural crime is therefore described as a crime against the fundamental laws of nature as well as personal crimes which could or may sometimes not be against the laws of the land.
  • Prostitution as a Victimless Crime The association in the law and morality in the subject of prostitution is been a wide concern as prostitution can be considered as one of the oldest phenomena of humankind in a way of practicing […]
  • Effective Physical Security and Crime Prevention Therefore, for effective implementation of the defense-in-depth strategy for the protection of assets, it is important to address the following issues: knowing the enemy, understanding the external enemies, defending against an internal enemy, and knowing […]
  • Crime Scene Investigation and Evidence Classification They include the explanation of physical evidence to identify purposes, the discussion of the differences between class and individual characteristics of physical evidence, and the evaluation of the class characteristics’ importance.
  • Raskolnikov’s Crime in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” Using the ingenuity of Fyodor Dostoevsky and his eternal masterpiece Crime and Punishment, the paper is going to prove the idea that the actual crime committed by Rodion Raskolnikov was the arrogance he had towards […]
  • Fort Lauderdale’s Law Enforcement and Crime Rates 1 percent of French background, 1. 0 percent of Dutch background, 1.
  • Freakonomics: What Attributed to the Sharp Drop In Crime? This article focuses on these reasons that were thought to have led to reduction of the rising crime rates experienced in United States in the 1990s and refutes the claims flaunted by the theorists.
  • A Marxist Approach to Global Crime The capitalistic economic system fosters most of the global crimes by encouraging the exploitation of one group by another and promoting the self-interest of the individuals who engage in these forms of crime.
  • Social Issues; Crime and Poverty in Camden This has threatened the social security and peaceful coexistence of the people in the community. The larger the differences between the poor and the rich, the high are the chances of crime.
  • To What Extent Are New Technologies and Organized Crime Linked? There are three major issues in the assessment of the crime and technology which will form the basis of our argument in this research paper; the level of information technology that is used by the […]
  • DNA Analysis: A Crime-Fighting Tool or Invasion of Privacy? This paper set out to demonstrate that DNA analysis offers a versatile tool for fighting crime and therefore ensuring the success of our civilization.
  • An Inchoate Crime Under the conspiracy element in the Wisconsin Statutes, conspiracy is defined as the agreement or combination of forces by two individuals with the intent of committing a crime.
  • The Connection Between Drugs and Crime The central viewpoint is that it is not an absolute truth that drug use is not an obvious cause of crime.
  • Criminal Justice & Security: Measuring Crime Statistics NIBRS is a part of UCR; it has been in place since 1989, and its aim is to ensure the collection of detailed crime reports from law enforcement agencies.
  • How America’s Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic Bratton and his fellows at the NYPD employed computer mapping to identify areas that experienced high crime levels, and then made use of all resources available in the police to fight these crimes.
  • Neighborhood Watch Programs and Crime Prevention The presence of a service that supports victims of crimes in the area also plays a significant role in the lives of the residents and of the neighborhood watch program.
  • Medea’s Justification for Her Crime Medea felt Jason had betrayed her love for him and due to her desperate situation she was depressed and her normal thinking was affected that she started thinking of how she would revenge the man […]
  • “Crimes Against Humanity” by Ward Churchill Throughout the essay, he puts a lot of words and phrases in quotation marks to underline the unique and figurative meaning of these phrases.
  • Crime Scene Reconstruction During crime scene simulation, the specialists are supposed to apply scientific methods in order to reconstruct a crime and answer the most important questions related to it that slow down the process of investigation.
  • Forensic Psychology: Media and Crime Relationship Consequently, it is arguable that exposure to stimuli involving violence such as the one found in a violent video game and some TV programs including cartoons may cause activation of aggressive scripts among children.
  • Crime Scene Investigation: Principles and Process Besides, the paper presents the qualities that crime investigators should have to guarantee a successful inquiry process. Upon arrival on a scene or the site of the crime, one should: Offer assistance to the injured […]
  • Society’s Response to Crime Impacts on Justice True, the decisions of the court are generally based on nature of the crime, evidence and the manner of the plaintiff and defendant.
  • Robert Merton’s Strain Theory Explaining Economic Crime Trends This theory states that “crime occurs when there are not enough legitimate opportunities for people to achieve the success goals imposed by the society”.
  • White-Collar Crime-Related Data Sources in the US The data available in NCVS to examine the utility of employing the NCVS to quantify white-collar crimes includes the list of white-collar crimes and their classification.
  • Design Theory in “Ornament and Crime” Essay by Loos One of the striking examples of this opinion is the desire to combine the interior and exterior decoration of the building, making them a logical continuation of each other.
  • Evidence of a Relationship Between Crime and Economy Many people from low socio-economic backgrounds are tempted to engage in crime because they lack required skills and qualifications to get them employed. In conclusion, there are many factors which motivate people to commit crimes.
  • Drug Crimes and Merton’s Anomie It is also reported that in the year 2004, seven percent of the State inmates in the United States jails and eighteen percent of the Federal prisoners pointed out that they engaged in committing offenses […]
  • The Theft of a Laptop in Various Crime Scenarios This paper seeks to evaluate different situations that involve the theft of a laptop with the aim of establishing the types of crime they represent and the differences between them.
  • Petty Crime Offenses: A Case of Mary Lee It is easy for the prosecution, in this case, to request the judge to sentence the defendant due to her criminal behavior.
  • White Collar Crime: Insidious Injuries This is one of the main issues that should be considered since it is important for understanding the dangers of these injuries and reducing their risks. These are some of the main challenges that can […]
  • Crime Factors & Levels in South Africa vs. Canada Developed and developing countries have different level of crime and crime control from the developing countries. This crime is concentrated in the urban of Ontario, British Columbia and other areas like Quebec.
  • Relationship Between Unemployment and Crimes Agnew, argue that crime is caused by strain that a person face throughout life, and this can be contributed to the degree of educational inequality in society.
  • Middle Class and Crime: Historical Analysis of Crime The middle class norms place a high evaluation on the cultivation and possession of skills and on the tangible achievements which are presumed to witness the possession of skills and the application of effort.
  • Psychological Theories Explaining Violent Crime Genetic influences refer to the blueprints for behavior that are contained in a person’s chromosomes. It is theoretically possible for a person to carry genes that influence behavior; the behavior they express would be the […]
  • Situational Crime Prevention SCP focuses on deterring crime by increasing the risk and effort in committing a crime. However, they add that the effect of such measures varies based on the location and type of crime targeted.
  • Gender Factors of Crime in Campus Occurrence of violence in campus usually puts the media in a dilemma because of the perceived impact that the information would have on students, their perception and fear while in school.
  • Problem‐Oriented Policing in Violent Crime Places In this study funded by the National Institute of Justice, the researchers investigate the impact of problem-oriented policing in Jersey City.
  • Victimless Crimes: Definition and Types Again, the taxpayers are the victims in such a case as they have to contribute to the rehabilitation of the drug users. As such, some of the so-called victimless crimes have identifiable victims.
  • Crime Prevention at the Workplace: Employee Theft Considering that any form of employee theft induces substantial harm to the financial performance of companies, the integration of adequate crime prevention procedures in the corporate security system is of great importance.
  • Shoe Impression at a Crime Scene It is the transfer of material from the shoe to the surface. The print results from the static charges between the sole of the shoe and the surface.
  • Victims of Crime Act: History and Development The necessary part of the paper is the information about changes to the original policy. The discussion of this act and how necessary it is for the criminal justice system in The United States is […]
  • Controlling Organized Crime In some instances, law enforcement officers have to get court orders first before they are allowed to search the premises of criminal suspects and this makes it difficult for them to stop different criminal incidents […]
  • Luka Magnotta and His Crime From the attention that the media has shown and the public outcry it is possible to conclude that the case is one of a kind.
  • Social Criticism Work in the Scandinavian Crime Fiction Novels The issue of revenge being a better option in the Swedish society is evident when, at the end of the novel, Blomkvists makes efforts to bring down the executive who worn the lawsuit mentioned at […]
  • Crime Theories: Psychodynamics and Rational Choice The rational choice theory explained the causes of crime to be the ability of an individual to commit the crime, their need for valuable possessions and money, their physical health and ability to commit the […]
  • Forensic Psychology Role in the Investigation of Crime The use of the methods majorly depends upon the complexity of the crime, nature of evidence available and level of forensic technology available.
  • Canada Crime Victims Foundation The foundation was officially started in 2002 to address the plight of such victims and it aims at providing basic education particularly to those dealing with victims of violence, in addition to undertaking comprehensive research […]
  • Race, Ethnicity and Crime There are a number of opposing issues concerning racism and disparity that has led to complication in the discussion of the issue of racism in the Criminal Justice System. The larger the differences between the […]
  • General Trends of Crime Over the Past Twenty Years The variations arise from how the two institutions define crimes, their bases of calculating the crime rates, and methodology used in data collection and analysis.
  • Religion Role in Crime Definition Thus, Abortion is the destruction of life that is created by God and is equivalent to murder that is a great sin
  • Economic Crime & Global Impact: Money Laundering 2 To understand the aspect of money laundering, it is important to know what necessitates it, the people behind that act and what their motives are, and the strategies put in place by the authorities […]
  • Criminal Concepts Differentiation On the other hand, the states refer to statutory rape that refers to the illegal sexual contact between an adult and a minor.
  • Extortion in Organized Crime Groups Blackmailing is a standard tool in organized crime, as it relies on one’s ability to threaten with severe consequences for non-compliance.
  • The Crimes of Charles Manson, Serial Killer Even though his people did it himself, he was not involved in this, and the organization of a particular group of people is not in itself an immoral act but is prohibited in some places.
  • Guidelines for Responsible Reporting on Hate Crimes The media is responsible for maintaining a balance between their interests and the needs and rights of crime victims, the public, and defendants.
  • Water Pollution as a Crime Against the Environment In particular, water pollution is a widespread crime against the environment, even though it is a severe felony that can result in harm to many people and vast territories.
  • The Crime of Attempt: Adequate Punishment In this situation, it is necessary to cooperate with a lawyer to prove the absence of intent to harm or to verify the impossibility of committing a crime.
  • Hate Crimes from a Biblical Perspective
  • Categories of Crime in Current Justice System
  • Impact of Cyber Crime on Internet Banking
  • Crime Scene Investigation Techniques
  • The Most Effective Crime Reduction Approaches
  • Mental Health of Crime Offenders
  • A Theoretical Perspective on Crimes
  • Cryptocurrency Crimes in Financial Markets
  • Discussion on the Role of Crime
  • Crime Prevention With Rational Choice Theory
  • Research in Criminal Justice: Crime Solvability Factors
  • Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime as Threats to Homeland Security
  • Gender Factor of Crime Motivation
  • Sexual Crimes and Behavioral Problems Treatment
  • State Crimes: Strategies to Resisting Tortures in Prisons
  • Police Administration Issue: Crime Victim Rights
  • Hate Crimes and Biblical Worldview
  • Sociology Can Be Applied to Offenders and Crimes
  • Crime Problems and Criminal Justice
  • Suitability of Electronic Monitoring: Crime Control Perspective
  • Low Crime Clearance Rates in the United States
  • Crime Control and Prevention Methods
  • Crimes and Victimization: Gender Issues
  • Transnational Organized Crime in the United States
  • Police Corruption: A Crime With Severe Consequences
  • Analysis of Crime and Punishment Bill
  • Investigating and Reporting White Collar Crimes: The Case of Bernie Madoff
  • Curtis Sliwa’s “The Guardian Angels”: Fighting Crime in New York City
  • “Time and Crime: Which Cold-Case Investigations Should Be Reheated?”: Key Ideas
  • “Hot Spots of Crime…” Article by Weisburd & White
  • Crime of Ricin Using or an Easy Way Out
  • Substance Use During Pregnancy as a Crime
  • The Crime and Justice Impact on New Media
  • Legal Issues Related to Cyber Crime Investigations
  • Crime Rates in the United States
  • Processing a Physical and Electronic Crime Scene
  • Criminalistics: Forensic Science, Crime, and Terrorism
  • Crime Trends in the Jurisdiction
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  • Juvenile Crime and Human Institutions’ Solutions
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  • The United States Uniform Crime Report’s Aims
  • Department of Justice Project on Organized Crime
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  • Major Crimes Committed by Women
  • Finding a Crime Series: Murders Committed by John Wayne Gacy
  • Review of High Tech Crime Investigation
  • Analysis of Crime and Violence Trauma
  • Crime Maps of Detroit and Michigan
  • Criminologists’ Views on Crime and Justice Issues
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  • Aspects of Sexual Crime Myth
  • Analysis of the Social Context of Crime
  • Overrepresentation of African Americans in Crime Statistics
  • Business-Related Crime and Preventive Measures
  • Factors Affecting Losses From Property Crime
  • Reasons Why Women Are Often the Victims of Violent Crimes
  • Hate Crimes and Implications
  • Juvenile Violent Crime and Children Below Poverty
  • Mens Rea and Actus Reus of Crime: A Case Study
  • Increasing Level of Fear of Crime and Its Cause
  • Criminological Theories Explaining Overrepresentation of African Americans in Crime Statistics
  • The Crime Scene Investigation Effect Theory
  • Profiled in Life & Death: Crime Victims’ Compensation and Young People of Color
  • Prison Sentence Alternatives for Drug-Related Crimes
  • Juvenile Crime of Lionel Tate: Causes and Effects
  • View of the Financial Crimes
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  • The Federal Bureau Investigation Crime Statistics
  • Crimes Against Humanity – Genocide
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  • Public Perceptions of Racial Crimes
  • Rediscovery of Crime Victims
  • Public Perceptions of Crime Analysis
  • Crime and Violence: Modern Social Classification
  • The New Perspective in the Management of Crime and Offenders
  • Measuring Crime Within Lynfield Estate
  • Restoring the Requirement of Mens Rea for All Crimes
  • GIS Comparing to Areas in Baltimore in Comparison to Crime
  • Comparing the Rate of Crime between the US, Japan, and Mexico
  • Who Are the Two Partners in All Crimes?
  • State Report: Crime Rates in Wisconsin
  • Victimless Crimes in the United States of America
  • Youth Crime Statistics in the US
  • Hate Crimes – Bullying
  • The Crimes of Sexual Assault in Canada
  • Transnational Organized Crime in Port Security Operations
  • Social and Cultural Inequalities Impact On Crime Experience: London
  • Prison Reforms for Handling Crime Effectively
  • The ‘Street Games’ Athletic Intervention to Reduce Youth Crime
  • Conspiracies in Society: Power Elite and State Crimes Against Society Theories
  • Asian Hate Crimes in the United States
  • Disability Hate Crimes in England and Wales
  • Close-Circuit Television: Crime Control vs. Privacy
  • Victims and Crime Evaluation
  • Hate Crime Problem Overview
  • “Adventures in Crime” Book by Amanda Archer
  • Managing the Hate Crimes and Preparing Officers
  • Adaptations to Anomie. Theories of Crime
  • Rape Theories and Policies to Minimize Crimes
  • “Legend” Crime Drama Directed by Brian Helgeland
  • Federal Statutes: White-Collar Crime
  • Juvenile Use of Drug and Committing of Crime
  • Data-Based Analysis Approach in Preventing Crime at Dallas Police Department
  • Researching Hate Crimes in America
  • Crimes Against Unborn Children
  • Crime in 2020 During COVID-19
  • Federal, State, and Local Hate Crime Laws
  • The Costs and Benefits of Dealing With Juvenile Crimes in Boot Camps
  • Property Crime in Boston and Detroit
  • Main Aspects of Organized Crime Models
  • Crime Control Perspective & the Due Process Perspective
  • History of Crime Measurement vs. Contemporary Situation
  • Profiling and Analytical Skills in Crime Detection
  • The Difference Between Media Depiction and the Reality of Crime
  • The Use of Social Crime Prevention Techniques in the UK
  • Lipstick Analysis in Crime Detection
  • Effects of Community Policing Upon Fear of Crime
  • Homeland Security: Digital Crime and Terrorism Activities
  • Problem-Oriented Crime Intervention and Policy Analysis
  • Affect of the Organized Crime in Australia
  • Crime Challenges in the 21st Century
  • Deviance and Deviant Crimes
  • Human Consciousness Leading to Hate Crimes
  • The Government Solutions of Violent Crimes
  • Crime Statistics in United States
  • Causes of Committing Crimes
  • Sexual Crimes: Criminal Liability
  • Crime in Virginia: Nature and Trends
  • Noble Cause Corruption – A Crime-Fighting Sub-Culture
  • Insider Trading Crime and Sentencing
  • Criminal Street Gangs as Organized Crime Groups
  • Developmental Theories and Crime Prevention Programs
  • Race and Culture Factors in Crime
  • Analysis of Mental Health in Crime
  • Isla Vista Mass Murder as a Hate Crime
  • The Genetics of Crime: ‘Criminal Gene’
  • The Links Between Gender and Crime
  • Crime Prevention Strategies at Walden University
  • Louisiana’s Crime Law: Victim Rights
  • Crime Prevention, Law Enforcement and Correction Theories
  • Applied Crime Prevention in Hollywood 20 Cinema Location
  • White-Collar Crime: Importance of Awareness
  • Factors Related to Crime and Their Influence
  • The Effects of Campus Shootings on Fear of Crime on Campus
  • Global Crimes Impact Assessment
  • Improving Crime Policy in Canada by Using Criminological Evidence
  • Computer Crime in the United Arab Emirates
  • Hate Crime Statistics in Los Angeles and New York Metropolitan Areas
  • Theories on Crime
  • Criminology in Brief: Understanding Crime
  • White-Collar Crime: The Notorious Case of Ford Pinto
  • White Collar Crime Characteristics
  • The Wire: A Crime-Drama Television Series
  • The Crime of Robbing the Big City Bank
  • Social Developmental Crime Prevention Programs
  • The Crime Phenomenon: Victimization and Its Theories
  • White-Collar Crime: An Overview
  • “Thinking About Crime: Sense and Sensibility in American Penal Culture” by Michael Tonry
  • Gender Crime Rates: The Role of Division of Labor
  • Official Crime Statistics: ‘Criminal Activity’ Measure
  • Organized Crimes: Review
  • Types of Crime in Cyberspace
  • A Research of the Crime in State Nevada
  • Marriage and Crime Reduction: Is There a Relationship?
  • Medical Crimes in the Health Industry
  • Application of CompStat Crime Model in Los Angeles
  • Problems Related to Defining and Regulating Crimes in the Home
  • The Crimes of Charles Manson
  • Copyright Implications: Crime Punishable by Law
  • Crime in America: What We May Learn From Its Causes?
  • Reducing Crime Rates by Analyzing Its Causes
  • Crime and Family Background Correlation
  • White-Collar Crime Conceptual Study
  • Impact of Economic Characteristics on Sex Crimes
  • Juvenile Crime Statistics
  • Factors Contributing to Gender Disparity in White Collar Crimes
  • Comparison Between Organized Crime And Terrorism
  • Mental Illness Relationship to Crime
  • Models of Organized Crime Executive Summary
  • White Collar Crime-Enron Corporation
  • Actus Reus and Mens Rea Aspects of Crime
  • Houston City Demographics and Crime Profile
  • Hate Crime Against the Jewish Community
  • Anomie, Crime, and Weakened Social Ties in Social Institutions
  • State of Crime in California
  • The Highest Crime Rate: Metropolitan County of Jefferson
  • Identifying Crime Patterns
  • Increasing the Rates of Crimes in Modern World
  • Crime Analysis Data Sources
  • Corporate Regulation and Crime
  • Understanding the Causes of Juvenile Crime
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  • Strategic, Tactical, and Administrative Crime Analysis
  • Methamphetamine Drug Crime Registration
  • Crime Analysis Conceptual Study
  • Classical and Biological Theories of Crime
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  • Mr. Charles Dempsey Court Case: Cause and Consequences of the Crime
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  • Electronic Crime Scene Investigation & Good Practice Guide
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  • White-Collar Crimes: Prevention and Fight
  • What Is a Crime? Is It Possible to Prevent Crime?
  • Transnational Crime and International Policing
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  • International White-Collar Crime
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  • Forensic Serology and Its Key Aspects in Investigating Crimes
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  • Detrimental Effects of Gender Influenced Crime and Interventions
  • The Prevention of Crime and Community Justice
  • Use of the Information Technology to Solve Crimes: DNA Tests and Biometrics
  • Using the Internet to Solve a Crime
  • Nature of Crime in the State of Virginia
  • Crime and Social Learning Theory Concept
  • The Future of Global Crime: Globalization and Integration
  • The Parallel Between Crime and Conflicts in Africa, Asia and Latin America
  • Globalization and the Internet: Change of Organized Crime
  • War on Crime Influence on Power Shift Among Various Groups
  • Trends in Police Recorded Crime in Northern Ireland
  • Human Factor in Enabling and Facilitating E-Crimes
  • Financial Crime and Employment
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  • The Crime of Sexual Violence Committed by Men
  • Screening in Aviation: Prevention of Crime
  • Seligman & Perspective on the Drop in Crime Rates
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  • Depiction of White-Collar Crime: Toxic Chemicals and Effects of the Pollutions
  • History of Crime in America Since the Early 1800s
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  • Crime Myths and Domestic Terrorism
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  • Recidivism Rates for Sex Crimes
  • Prevention of Sex Offenders From Committing Crimes
  • Impacts of the Society’s Response to Crime
  • Policing Operations: Application of New Technologies to Combat Crime
  • Drugs, Crime, and Violence: Effects of Drug Use on Behavior
  • The Three Strikes Law in Countering Crime
  • Hate Crimes in the United States: Bias Toward the Victim’s Identity
  • The Nature of Crime: Underlying Drivers Making People Criminals
  • Theoretical Impact on Sex Crimes Investigations
  • Searching and Recording the Crime Scene
  • Social Pressure and Black Clothing Impact on Crime Judgments
  • Personal vs. Collective Responsibility in War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
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  • Economic Recession and Crime Rates
  • The Self Control Theory of Crime
  • Criminal Justice System: Crime Scene Investigation
  • Philosophical Theory of Law and Justice and Problem of Crime and Justice
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  • Community Policing as a Tool Against Crime
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  • Does Crime Make Economic Sense?
  • Women’s Crime: Gendered Criminology Theory
  • Crimes Against the State: Terrorist Attacks and Death Penalty
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  • Gang-Related Crimes in Irish Cities
  • Minor Disorders and Serious Crimes
  • Social Program for Management of Crimes Against Women
  • Do Drug Enforcement Laws Help to Reduce Other Crimes?
  • Organized Crime Investigation in Different Countries
  • Crime, Criminality, and Prisons in the USA
  • Cutting-Off Hand Keeps Off Crimes in the Country
  • Organized Crime in the United States
  • Crime Mysteries of Jack the Ripper
  • China’s Legal System: Crime and Punishment
  • Criminal Investigations: Nature of Crime Investigators
  • NGOs and the Fight Against Crime
  • Sociology and Representation of Crime in the Media
  • Crime Punishment: Humane Treatment of Prisoners Today
  • Probing Crime Based on Conduct Report
  • Criminal Justice for Physically Injured Crime Victims
  • Major Theories of Crime Causation
  • Elements of Crime and Intentional Tort
  • Future of Crime Corrections
  • Hate Crime as a Core Subject of Criminology
  • Youth Crime and Punishment
  • Policy Recommendations for Controlling Crime
  • City Violence, Crimes and Disruption
  • Responsibility for the Most Horrific Crimes Issue
  • Crime Prevention Programs in America
  • Rape: The Misunderstood Crime
  • Sex Crimes and Burglary: Patterns, Benefits, and Risk
  • Alcohol and Crime in the U.K., the United States, and Australia
  • Prostitution as a “Victimless” Crime
  • Enron Scandal and Business Crime
  • Crime Policy and Practices: Trying Juveniles as Adults
  • White-Collar and Political Crimes
  • Three Perspective of One Crime
  • Financial Cost of Crime to Society
  • The History of Cyber Crimes and the Most Popular Forms of Cyber Crimes
  • Violence and Society: Multiple Perceptions of Crime
  • Law Enforcement: White-Collar and Corporate Crimes
  • Crime in High Schools
  • White Collar Crime: When Looks Can Be Deceiving
  • Nazi’s Crimes Against Jews During World War II
  • Crime Victimization in America: Data Statistics
  • Prevention & Control Of Crime
  • Crime and Subcultures in the Urban Area
  • Crime in Inner City Neighborhoods
  • Date Rape Is Not a Crime: Discussion
  • Criminology: Drugs, Crime and Control
  • Youth Crime. Prejudice: Is It Justified?
  • New York City Community Policing and Crime Reduction
  • Crime, Justice and the Media Relations
  • State Corporate Crime and Criminological Inquiry
  • Strain Theory: Sociological Explanation of Crime
  • Granite City Building Inspectors: Service Crime
  • Torts and Crimes. Liability for Traffic Accidents
  • The General Theory of Crime
  • Crime Laboratories: Accreditation and Certification
  • Situational Crime Prevention Strategy
  • Policing Crime and Disorder Hot Spots
  • Crime of Genocide: Justice and Ethical Issues
  • White-Collar Crimes and Deferred Prosecution
  • The Uniform Crime Statistics Over 5 Years
  • Cyber Crime in the U.S. and Nigeria
  • Forensic Biology in Crime Scene Investigations
  • The Concept of Uniform Crime Reporting Program
  • Property Crime and Typologies
  • Greater Surveillance Is Not a Desirable Answer to the Problem of Crime
  • The Key Types of Crimes
  • Crime Prevention in the United States
  • Crimes That Teenagers Do Not Commit
  • Crime Investigation With Global Positioning System
  • National Crime Victimization Survey and Analysis
  • Surveillance as the Answer to the Crime Issue
  • The Crime of Innocence
  • Computer Crimes: Viewing the Future
  • Important Crime Scene Responsibilities
  • Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime
  • Crimes Against Small Businesses and Prevention Strategies
  • Computer Forensics: Identity Theft
  • Computer Crime Investigation Processes and Analyses
  • Crime Prevention and Juvenile Delinquency
  • Longford: British Biographical Crime Drama Film
  • Immigration and Crime Rates in the United States
  • Organized Crime in New York and Chicago
  • Gender and Crime in Campus: Correlation Analysis
  • Conflict & Crime Control vs. Consensus & Due Process Model
  • Capturing Crime, Criminals and the Public’s Imagination
  • National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
  • “Broken Windows” and Situational Crime Prevention Theories
  • NGO Analysis of Canadian Crime Victim Foundation
  • Crime and Criminal Justice News
  • Deterrence: Discouraging Offenders from Re-Committing Crimes
  • Transnational Organized Crime: Counterstrategy
  • Serial Killers, Their Crimes, and Stereotypes
  • Crime Analysis Writing and Alert Website Content
  • Economics of Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking
  • Achieving Total Security in the Community
  • Organized Crime Series Analysis
  • International Law: War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
  • Fear from Media Reporting of Crimes
  • Crime Theories Differentiating Criminal Behavior
  • Tactical Crime Analysis and Statistical Cases
  • Comparing Different Indexes of Crimes
  • Anomie and Strain Crime Theories
  • Crime Theories: Shooting in Northwest Washington
  • White-Collar Crime Theories and Their Development
  • Robert Courtney’s Crime as Input to Business Regulation
  • Three-Strikes Law Ineffective in Crime Reduction
  • Violence, Security and Crime Prevention at School
  • Electronic Crimes and Federal Guidance in Regulation
  • Phoenix Park: Community-Based Crime Prevention
  • Forensic Science: Examining Crime Evidence
  • Human and Drug Trafficking as Transnational Organised Crimes
  • Alleged Crimes: Aggravated Assault and Drug Dealing
  • Offenders’ Age and Anti-Black Hate Crimes
  • The Role of Location in Crime Fiction
  • Crimes Against Persons: Theory and Doctrine
  • Prohibition as a Cause of Increased Crimes Illegal Activity
  • Crime Prevention Approaches
  • Crime Scene Investigation: Types of Analysis
  • White-Collar Crimes Causes
  • Differences of Crime Perception in North Jersey
  • Children as Victims of Crime
  • Crime and Victimization Trends
  • Crime Data: Collection and Analysis Tools
  • Crime Rates of Sex Crimes and Firearm Violence
  • Hate Crimes in Modern Society
  • Organized Crime in the Balkans
  • Compliance Impact on Financial Crimes
  • Fascination With Crime Through the Art of Photography
  • Closed-Circuit Television Cameras in Crime Reduction
  • Marijuana Crime in California State and Federal Courts
  • Internet Crimes and Digital Terrorism Prevention
  • Deterrence Theory and Adolescent Sex Crimes
  • Immigration Services Against Crime and Terrorism
  • Digital Crime Causes and Theories
  • Pink-Collar Criminal: Gender in White-Collar Crime
  • Nanjing Massacre as Japan’s Denied War Crime
  • Gender and Crime Correlation in Strain Theory
  • Police Patrol Presence in Crime “Hot Spots”
  • National Impact on Organized Crime
  • Organized Crime and Current Laws
  • Civic Virtue in Crime Commitment and Revelation
  • ”Crime and Justice in the United States” by Bohm & Haley
  • Computer Crimes and Internet Security
  • Crime Television Series: “Al Fin Cayó!”
  • War Crimes in “Zambak/Muslims” by S. Mehmedinovic
  • Internet Crime Prevention by Law and E-Business
  • Hate Crimes and Anti-Discrimination Laws
  • Crime Prevention and Control Effectiveness
  • Crime Scene Investigation Stages and Protocols
  • Race, Ethnicity and Crime in America
  • White Collar Crimes Focus
  • Terrorism, Hate Crimes and Racial Profiling
  • Can Genetics Cause Crime?
  • Are the Laws Propagating Crime?
  • When Was the First True Crime?
  • Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime?
  • Does Crime and Violence Affect the Tourism Industry?
  • Does Drug Use Cause Crime or Does Crime Cause Drug Use?
  • Does Marriage Reduce Crime?
  • What’s the Origin of Crime?
  • Does Social Deprivation Relate to Crime?
  • Why People Commit Crime?
  • Why Crime Rates Will Drop?
  • What Are the Social Causes of Youth Crime?
  • What Causes High Crime Rate?
  • What Are the Proper Steps in a Crime Investigation?
  • What Are the Psychological Causes of Crime?
  • What Are the Causes of Youth Crime in the UK?
  • What Are the Major Problems with Regard to the Collection of Crime Statistics?
  • How Accurate Are Official Crime Statistics?
  • What Is the First: Crime or Law?
  • How Did American White Collar Crime Transform?
  • What Are the Seven Elements of a Crime?
  • How Does Globalization Impact on Crime and Victimisation?
  • How Can Crime Best Be Measured?
  • Why Does Crime Change over Time?
  • How Crime and Deviance Can Be Seen as Functional for Society?
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

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Essay on Crime

Students are often asked to write an essay on Crime in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Crime

Understanding crime.

Crime refers to acts that violate the law. They are considered harmful and punishable by a governing authority. Crimes can range from theft to murder.

Types of Crimes

There are various types of crimes. Violent crimes include actions like assault, while theft falls under property crimes. White-collar crimes involve fraud or embezzlement.

Consequences of Crime

Crimes have severe consequences. They can lead to imprisonment, fines, or even death penalties. Moreover, they harm communities and individuals, causing fear and damage.

Preventing Crime

Preventing crime involves law enforcement, education, and community programs. Everyone can contribute to a safer society by obeying laws and reporting suspicious activities.

Also check:

  • Paragraph on Crime
  • Speech on Crime

250 Words Essay on Crime

Introduction.

Crime, a pervasive aspect of society, is an act that violates a law and is punishable by the state. It disruptively breaches societal norms, creating a sense of insecurity and fear. This essay delves into the nature of crime, its causes, and the role of law enforcement.

The Nature of Crime

Crime is a complex phenomenon, varying across cultures and societies. It ranges from minor offences like theft to severe ones like homicide. The nature of crime reflects societal values, as what is considered criminal is determined by the prevailing legal and moral code.

Causes of Crime

The causes of crime are multifaceted, involving biological, psychological, and sociological factors. Biological theories suggest genetic predispositions towards criminal behaviour. Psychological theories focus on the individual’s mental processes and their interaction with the environment. Sociological theories, on the other hand, emphasize societal structures and inequalities as major crime contributors.

Law Enforcement and Crime

Law enforcement agencies play a crucial role in maintaining order, preventing crime, and ensuring justice. They function as a deterrent, keeping potential criminals in check. However, their effectiveness is contingent upon their ability to adapt to evolving criminal tactics.

In conclusion, crime is a societal issue with deep roots in individual and social structures. Understanding its nature and causes is key to formulating effective strategies for prevention and control. As society evolves, so too must our approach to understanding and combating crime.

500 Words Essay on Crime

Crime, a social and legal concept, has been a part of human society since its inception. It refers to the actions that violate the norms and laws of a society, leading to harm or potential harm to individuals or the community. The study of crime, its causes, effects, and prevention, is a crucial aspect of sociology, psychology, and criminology.

Crime is a complex phenomenon, varying across societies and times. It is not static but evolves with societal norms and legal frameworks. What may be considered a crime in one society may not be in another, and similarly, what was a crime in the past might not be so today. For instance, homosexuality was once criminalized in many societies, but it is now widely accepted and decriminalized.

Types of Crime

Crimes are generally categorized into personal crimes, property crimes, inchoate crimes, statutory crimes, and financial crimes. Personal crimes involve direct harm or threat to an individual, such as assault or robbery. Property crimes involve interfering with another person’s property, like burglary or theft. Inchoate crimes are those that were started but not completed, while statutory crimes are violations of specific statutes. Financial crimes, such as fraud or embezzlement, involve the illegal conversion of property ownership.

The causes of crime are multifaceted, often interwoven with societal, psychological, and economic factors. Poverty, lack of education, substance abuse, and family violence are some common societal factors leading to crime. Psychological factors include personality disorders, low self-control, and aggression. Economic factors, such as unemployment or income inequality, also contribute significantly to crime rates.

Effects of Crime

Crime affects society in numerous ways, from creating fear and insecurity to damaging social cohesion. It impacts the economy by diverting resources towards law enforcement and away from other sectors. On an individual level, crime can lead to physical harm, psychological trauma, and financial loss.

Crime prevention strategies are as diverse as the causes of crime. They include social strategies, such as improving education and employment opportunities, and legal strategies, such as effective law enforcement and fair judicial systems. Psychological interventions, like counseling and therapy, can also play a significant role in crime prevention.

Understanding crime is essential to creating a safe and harmonious society. By examining its nature, types, causes, effects, and prevention, we can develop effective strategies to reduce crime rates and mitigate its impact on individuals and communities. It is a collective responsibility that requires the concerted efforts of individuals, communities, and governments.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Crime Against Women
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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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crime issues essay

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Crime As A Social Problem: How To Write An Essay?

Jared Houdi

Table of Contents

crime issues essay

Nevertheless, the key to solving the problem lays deeply in it and only through research of every aspect of the problem it can be found. That is exactly why this topic is so popular! You have endless scopes to discover, various information to collect, numerous questions to find answers to, and freedom to compose any personal topic dealing with crime.

But still, all essays on crime are similar to their aim – to discover and to help. You need to realize that any cause-effect connections you may find can indeed help to understand the problem better, develop new methods of preventing, reducing or dealing with crimes and criminals and reveal many other useful things.

How to write crime essay?

Writing an essay on crime is almost the same as writing any other essay. However, remember that you need to be extremely precise with the information you include in your essay – it’s better to check the trustworthiness and accuracy of everything you decided to take on the Internet. What’s more, it is a good idea to rely on statistics and numbers.

Moreover, it is better to choose a specific topic for your essay – that’s how you make it informative and newsworthy. Picking too broad topic will result in writing about everything and nothing. At the same time, choosing a narrow topic may be difficult to write due to the lack of available information.

So, analyze your topic and find the golden middle. These are the main differences in a crime essay.

Here are some basic recommendations:

  • Come up with the topic – not too narrow, not too broad, most importantly – interesting for you.
  • Write an outline and stick to it – any essay needs to be structured both for easier writing and for better perception.
  • Be interested in what you write about.

The best structure for the essay on crime

Any essay should contain three parts – introduction, main body, and conclusion. They may also consist of paragraphs for better understanding while reading. So when you have finally decided on your topic, it is nice to make an outline – it is where all parts of your essay will be highlighted.

Here is a free example of an outline for the essay “Correlations of criminal behavior”:

1. Introduction – here you present all the background information needed to understand your ideas, it is the basis of your research. You may also give some definitions if needed.

2. The main body – to state all your ideas.

  • Gender – discover who does more crimes, men or women. Try to explain or find explanations for the question “why”.
  • Race and immigration – examine people of which race is more likely than others committing crimes. Also, explore how can the status of immigrant influence criminality.
  • Early life – enumerate which factors in early life may be associated with committing crimes later. These may include trauma, family size and relations, alcohol and drug addiction in the family, bullying, low school performance, and many others.
  • Religion – there are a few studies about how religiosity may influence criminality. Discover whether religion increase or decrease crime, how and why. Maybe, different religions have different effects.
  • Political ideology – explore various political ideologies and how they encourage people to behave themselves. Are there any which obviously push people into committing a crime?
  • Psychological traits – explain how psychological background may influence a person. Describe some mental illnesses which may make people aggressive and destructive. Find some statistics to prove your statements.
  • Socioeconomic factors – examine people of which social or economic status are more prone to commit a crime, why? Explain also how the economic situation in family, city, and country may influence criminality. You may even write a poverty and crime essay.

3. Conclusion – make a derivation of everything you have stated. Keep in mind that no new ideas or statements are needed here.

4. References – add a list of the sources you have used in your essay (if needed).

Causes of crime essay

It is doubtless that the government and authorities try to prevent crimes (which is a great idea, by the way!).

Nevertheless, it is still occurring.

The problem with this is that the majority of people can’t understand where it all comes from. To cope with the problem we need to spread the awareness of why crime is done because “just insanity” isn’t usually the answer.

If you decided to write such an essay, here are some ideas for you to consider in your essay:

  • Physical abnormalities – it is still believed that people who encounter some features of appearance are more likely to commit a crime. It is stated that these people have smaller heads, bigger jaws, and ears and are of a certain weight and height. Another determining factor is race.
  • Mental illnesses and psychological disorders – there are some illnesses which make people generally more aggressive.
  • Social and economic factors – it is a well-known fact that people of lower social status commit more crimes. The same is with the economy – the poorer the country is, the more crime is committed.
  • Income and education – it was revealed that educated people are less likely to commit a crime compared to those who are uneducated. What is more, unemployment is regarded as one of the most widespread reasons for crime.
  • White-collar crime – it is a prevalent crime among deputies and high officials. They include bribery, abuse of status, bureaucracy, and others.

Hate crime essay: what’s best to cover?

Hate crime is committed against a group of people or someone who belongs to it. As a rule, race and religion are the main factors. Hate crime itself is a violent act towards a person or a group of people due to their affiliation with a group or organization.

Thousands of people all around the world are suffering since they just profess the religion someone doesn’t like, have another color of skin or encounter some even less noticeable differences. Consider writing a does the death penalty deter crime essay in this context.

Thus this type of crime is indeed worth highlighting. Here is a free sample for you to pick some ideas.

Cybercrime essay: several hints

Cybercrime is a relatively new problem which develops with the Internet and technologies. Only fifteen years ago there wasn’t such a problem. However, it is expected that the global cost of cybercrime will surmount $6 trillion!

Most widespread types of cybercrime include fraud, hacking, identity theft, scamming, computer viruses, ransomware, DDoS attack, botnets, spamming, phishing, social engineering, malvertising, cyberstalking, software piracy, cyberbullying and many others.

This is why the topic is really up-to-date. So you may look through this free example to know where to begin this broad topic.

Final thoughts

All in all, crime is a newsworthy scope to explore and write essays on. Unfortunately, crimes are constantly occurring, and there are lots of information and statistics you may need to discover some specific questions.

Don’t hesitate to examine something you’re really interested in, no matter how “important” it is considered! Good luck!

Can’t wait to fight all the crime around the globe? We’ll help! Order your perfect essay on crime and cut yourself free for anything you have on your mind.

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What the data says about crime in the U.S.

A growing share of Americans say reducing crime should be a top priority for the president and Congress to address this year. Around six-in-ten U.S. adults (58%) hold that view today, up from 47% at the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency in 2021.

We conducted this analysis to learn more about U.S. crime patterns and how those patterns have changed over time.

The analysis relies on statistics published by the FBI, which we accessed through the Crime Data Explorer , and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), which we accessed through the  National Crime Victimization Survey data analysis tool .

To measure public attitudes about crime in the U.S., we relied on survey data from Pew Research Center and Gallup.

Additional details about each data source, including survey methodologies, are available by following the links in the text of this analysis.

A line chart showing that, since 2021, concerns about crime have grown among both Republicans and Democrats.

With the issue likely to come up in this year’s presidential election, here’s what we know about crime in the United States, based on the latest available data from the federal government and other sources.

How much crime is there in the U.S.?

It’s difficult to say for certain. The  two primary sources of government crime statistics  – the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) – paint an incomplete picture.

The FBI publishes  annual data  on crimes that have been reported to law enforcement, but not crimes that haven’t been reported. Historically, the FBI has also only published statistics about a handful of specific violent and property crimes, but not many other types of crime, such as drug crime. And while the FBI’s data is based on information from thousands of federal, state, county, city and other police departments, not all law enforcement agencies participate every year. In 2022, the most recent full year with available statistics, the FBI received data from 83% of participating agencies .

BJS, for its part, tracks crime by fielding a  large annual survey of Americans ages 12 and older and asking them whether they were the victim of certain types of crime in the past six months. One advantage of this approach is that it captures both reported and unreported crimes. But the BJS survey has limitations of its own. Like the FBI, it focuses mainly on a handful of violent and property crimes. And since the BJS data is based on after-the-fact interviews with crime victims, it cannot provide information about one especially high-profile type of offense: murder.

All those caveats aside, looking at the FBI and BJS statistics side-by-side  does  give researchers a good picture of U.S. violent and property crime rates and how they have changed over time. In addition, the FBI is transitioning to a new data collection system – known as the National Incident-Based Reporting System – that eventually will provide national information on a much larger set of crimes , as well as details such as the time and place they occur and the types of weapons involved, if applicable.

Which kinds of crime are most and least common?

A bar chart showing that theft is most common property crime, and assault is most common violent crime.

Property crime in the U.S. is much more common than violent crime. In 2022, the FBI reported a total of 1,954.4 property crimes per 100,000 people, compared with 380.7 violent crimes per 100,000 people.  

By far the most common form of property crime in 2022 was larceny/theft, followed by motor vehicle theft and burglary. Among violent crimes, aggravated assault was the most common offense, followed by robbery, rape, and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter.

BJS tracks a slightly different set of offenses from the FBI, but it finds the same overall patterns, with theft the most common form of property crime in 2022 and assault the most common form of violent crime.

How have crime rates in the U.S. changed over time?

Both the FBI and BJS data show dramatic declines in U.S. violent and property crime rates since the early 1990s, when crime spiked across much of the nation.

Using the FBI data, the violent crime rate fell 49% between 1993 and 2022, with large decreases in the rates of robbery (-74%), aggravated assault (-39%) and murder/nonnegligent manslaughter (-34%). It’s not possible to calculate the change in the rape rate during this period because the FBI  revised its definition of the offense in 2013 .

Line charts showing that U.S. violent and property crime rates have plunged since 1990s, regardless of data source.

The FBI data also shows a 59% reduction in the U.S. property crime rate between 1993 and 2022, with big declines in the rates of burglary (-75%), larceny/theft (-54%) and motor vehicle theft (-53%).

Using the BJS statistics, the declines in the violent and property crime rates are even steeper than those captured in the FBI data. Per BJS, the U.S. violent and property crime rates each fell 71% between 1993 and 2022.

While crime rates have fallen sharply over the long term, the decline hasn’t always been steady. There have been notable increases in certain kinds of crime in some years, including recently.

In 2020, for example, the U.S. murder rate saw its largest single-year increase on record – and by 2022, it remained considerably higher than before the coronavirus pandemic. Preliminary data for 2023, however, suggests that the murder rate fell substantially last year .

How do Americans perceive crime in their country?

Americans tend to believe crime is up, even when official data shows it is down.

In 23 of 27 Gallup surveys conducted since 1993 , at least 60% of U.S. adults have said there is more crime nationally than there was the year before, despite the downward trend in crime rates during most of that period.

A line chart showing that Americans tend to believe crime is up nationally, less so locally.

While perceptions of rising crime at the national level are common, fewer Americans believe crime is up in their own communities. In every Gallup crime survey since the 1990s, Americans have been much less likely to say crime is up in their area than to say the same about crime nationally.

Public attitudes about crime differ widely by Americans’ party affiliation, race and ethnicity, and other factors . For example, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are much more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to say reducing crime should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year (68% vs. 47%), according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

How does crime in the U.S. differ by demographic characteristics?

Some groups of Americans are more likely than others to be victims of crime. In the  2022 BJS survey , for example, younger people and those with lower incomes were far more likely to report being the victim of a violent crime than older and higher-income people.

There were no major differences in violent crime victimization rates between male and female respondents or between those who identified as White, Black or Hispanic. But the victimization rate among Asian Americans (a category that includes Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders) was substantially lower than among other racial and ethnic groups.

The same BJS survey asks victims about the demographic characteristics of the offenders in the incidents they experienced.

In 2022, those who are male, younger people and those who are Black accounted for considerably larger shares of perceived offenders in violent incidents than their respective shares of the U.S. population. Men, for instance, accounted for 79% of perceived offenders in violent incidents, compared with 49% of the nation’s 12-and-older population that year. Black Americans accounted for 25% of perceived offenders in violent incidents, about twice their share of the 12-and-older population (12%).

As with all surveys, however, there are several potential sources of error, including the possibility that crime victims’ perceptions about offenders are incorrect.

How does crime in the U.S. differ geographically?

There are big geographic differences in violent and property crime rates.

For example, in 2022, there were more than 700 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in New Mexico and Alaska. That compares with fewer than 200 per 100,000 people in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine, according to the FBI.

The FBI notes that various factors might influence an area’s crime rate, including its population density and economic conditions.

What percentage of crimes are reported to police? What percentage are solved?

Line charts showing that fewer than half of crimes in the U.S. are reported, and fewer than half of reported crimes are solved.

Most violent and property crimes in the U.S. are not reported to police, and most of the crimes that  are  reported are not solved.

In its annual survey, BJS asks crime victims whether they reported their crime to police. It found that in 2022, only 41.5% of violent crimes and 31.8% of household property crimes were reported to authorities. BJS notes that there are many reasons why crime might not be reported, including fear of reprisal or of “getting the offender in trouble,” a feeling that police “would not or could not do anything to help,” or a belief that the crime is “a personal issue or too trivial to report.”

Most of the crimes that are reported to police, meanwhile,  are not solved , at least based on an FBI measure known as the clearance rate . That’s the share of cases each year that are closed, or “cleared,” through the arrest, charging and referral of a suspect for prosecution, or due to “exceptional” circumstances such as the death of a suspect or a victim’s refusal to cooperate with a prosecution. In 2022, police nationwide cleared 36.7% of violent crimes that were reported to them and 12.1% of the property crimes that came to their attention.

Which crimes are most likely to be reported to police? Which are most likely to be solved?

Bar charts showing that most vehicle thefts are reported to police, but relatively few result in arrest.

Around eight-in-ten motor vehicle thefts (80.9%) were reported to police in 2022, making them by far the most commonly reported property crime tracked by BJS. Household burglaries and trespassing offenses were reported to police at much lower rates (44.9% and 41.2%, respectively), while personal theft/larceny and other types of theft were only reported around a quarter of the time.

Among violent crimes – excluding homicide, which BJS doesn’t track – robbery was the most likely to be reported to law enforcement in 2022 (64.0%). It was followed by aggravated assault (49.9%), simple assault (36.8%) and rape/sexual assault (21.4%).

The list of crimes  cleared  by police in 2022 looks different from the list of crimes reported. Law enforcement officers were generally much more likely to solve violent crimes than property crimes, according to the FBI.

The most frequently solved violent crime tends to be homicide. Police cleared around half of murders and nonnegligent manslaughters (52.3%) in 2022. The clearance rates were lower for aggravated assault (41.4%), rape (26.1%) and robbery (23.2%).

When it comes to property crime, law enforcement agencies cleared 13.0% of burglaries, 12.4% of larcenies/thefts and 9.3% of motor vehicle thefts in 2022.

Are police solving more or fewer crimes than they used to?

Nationwide clearance rates for both violent and property crime are at their lowest levels since at least 1993, the FBI data shows.

Police cleared a little over a third (36.7%) of the violent crimes that came to their attention in 2022, down from nearly half (48.1%) as recently as 2013. During the same period, there were decreases for each of the four types of violent crime the FBI tracks:

Line charts showing that police clearance rates for violent crimes have declined in recent years.

  • Police cleared 52.3% of reported murders and nonnegligent homicides in 2022, down from 64.1% in 2013.
  • They cleared 41.4% of aggravated assaults, down from 57.7%.
  • They cleared 26.1% of rapes, down from 40.6%.
  • They cleared 23.2% of robberies, down from 29.4%.

The pattern is less pronounced for property crime. Overall, law enforcement agencies cleared 12.1% of reported property crimes in 2022, down from 19.7% in 2013. The clearance rate for burglary didn’t change much, but it fell for larceny/theft (to 12.4% in 2022 from 22.4% in 2013) and motor vehicle theft (to 9.3% from 14.2%).

Note: This is an update of a post originally published on Nov. 20, 2020.

  • Criminal Justice

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John Gramlich is an associate director at Pew Research Center .

Fewer than 1% of federal criminal defendants were acquitted in 2022

Before release of video showing tyre nichols’ beating, public views of police conduct had improved modestly, violent crime is a key midterm voting issue, but what does the data say, u.s. public divided over whether people convicted of crimes spend too much or too little time in prison, what we know about the increase in u.s. murders in 2020, most popular.

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Crime Essay Topics: 25+ Interesting Ideas for Your Next Paper

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by  Antony W

December 5, 2023

crime essay topics

Your next crime essay has to be on point. You have to prove to your professor that you understand themes of individual restraint, social behavior control, crime deterioration, criminal law, or anything related to crime. The first step is to choose a compelling topic to explore.

In this post, we give you a list of crime essay topics and ideas that you can explore. Whether you’ve started brainstorming or you feeling hopeless because you’re running late, these ideas can save you a lot of time.

Remember, how well and easy you write a crime essay depends on topic selection. So you should be careful to choose an idea that you can explore within the scope of the assignment. Read the assignment brief to determine which essay to write and how long it should be. Everything else builds on the topic you choose. 

Key Takeaways

  • Look at different theories, contemporary issues, and sub-disciplines linked to crime to understand the different areas you can explore.
  • Determine what fascinates you about crime in relation to law essays , coursework, and assignments.
  • Write down the aspects of crime and social justice that most appeal to you and then narrow down your option to one area.
  • Choose a specific topic that fits within your interest.

Best Crime Essay Topics

The following is a list of the best crime essay topic that you might find interesting for your next assignment:

Society and Justice Topics

  • Rehabilitation and moralities
  • The key characteristics of employment and crime
  • Delinquency cases in children
  • Community service and criminals
  • Crime prevention in children
  • Social ecology and abandoned peoples
  • White-collar crimes and their consequences
  • Is moral panic a new danger or an ordinary issue?
  • Socio-economic background and crime
  • Bad parenting and juvenile delinquencies
  • Social changes in the United States is a problematic issue
  • The pros and cons of background criminal checks
  • Are new prisons necessary in the United States of America?
  • Write an essay on rehabilitation and recidivism
  • Social institutions and criminal justice
  • Causes of victimization
  • Justice as a norm in today’s society
  • Criminal justice, sociology & psychology
  • Social cohesion and criminal justice
  • The prosecution of children as an adult in the United States of America
  • Criminalizing homelessness in the United States of America and the world
  • Cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking
  • The role of education in keeping a safe society
  • How to help abused children
  • Children and online offenders

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Police and Policing Topics

  • Ethical dimensions of policing and criminal justice: an analytical study
  • Unpacking contemporary instances of police corruption: case analyses
  • Militarization of law enforcement in the United States
  • Examining instances of police brutality
  • Police-public interactions and controversial issues in the United States
  • Police as catalysts for societal change in the United States
  • Critiquing crisis intervention training in policing
  • Exploring systemic police abuse in the United States’ criminal justice framework
  • Assessing the efficacy of predictive policing in law enforcement practices
  • Tracing the historical trajectory of American policing from a contextual perspectives
  • Advantages and dilemma of community support for policing in neighborhoods

Capital Punishment Essay Topics

  • Understanding racial disparities in the criminal justice system and their societal ramifications
  • Examining solitary confinement’s psychological impact on prisoners
  • Critical assessment of mandatory minimum sentences in drug offense cases
  • Ethical quandaries surrounding the employment of informants in criminal investigations
  • Evaluating bias and discrimination in predictive policing algorithms
  • Private prisons’ influence on the structure and functioning of the justice system
  • Assessing rehabilitation programs’ efficacy in reducing recidivism
  • Ethical considerations and data usage of technological surveillance in law enforcement:
  • Decriminalization versus legalization perspectives over drug criminalization:
  • Policy implications of mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients
  • Impacts of bail reforms pretrial detention and systemic equity
  • An assessment of efficacy of poverty, crime, and programmatic interventions

Criminal Law Essay Topics

  • Intersecting legal and ethical dimensions of the death penalty
  • Examining plea bargains: Implications and functionality in justice systems
  • Evaluating the impact of mandatory minimum sentences on crime reduction
  • Race, ethnicity, and the dynamics of the criminal justice system
  • The role, reliability, and significance of forensic science in criminal investigations
  • Unpacking the relationship between poverty and crime rates
  • Forensic psychology’s contributions to profiling in criminal investigations
  • Evaluating its effectiveness of community policing in crime prevention and resolution
  • Protecting victims’ rights within the criminal justice framework
  • Ethical concerns and algorithmic biases in predictive policing applications
  • Understanding mental health’s interplay with criminal behavior
  • Exploring drug decriminalization or legalization: impacts on crime
  • Surveillance ethics: Legitimacy and considerations in public spaces
  • Media influence and its role in shaping public perception in criminal trials
  • Implications and rectification of sentencing disparities based on socioeconomic status
  • Assessing hate crime legislation’s efficacy in prosecution and prevention
  • Restorative justice’s role in recidivism mitigation
  • Emerging technologies in criminal law: AI, facial recognition, and privacy concerns
  • Technology’s influence on criminal investigations and privacy rights
  • Effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in recidivism prevention

Criminal Justice Essay Topics

  • Regulatory frameworks and security protocols
  • Understanding eligibility and protection in witness security programs
  • Patterns and profiles of abduction, ransom, and recurring behaviors
  • Contemporary challenges and priorities for law enforcement
  • Forensic science’s role and evolution in modern criminal justice
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of community corrections programs
  • Identity theft in today’s context: Risks and impactful consequences
  • Forgery incidents: Prevalence in workplaces, government, and academia
  • Addressing issues and improvement strategies of prison living conditions:
  • Real-world application of prosecution laws
  • Anatomy of a criminal trial: The processes and key components explained
  • Navigating ethical challenges in law enforcement from a critical perspective
  • Exploring historical insights and lessons from the evolution of criminal courts
  • Religious motive crimes: Understanding sentencing and punitive measures
  • The impact and ethical considerations of the media’s role in crime narratives
  • Problem-solving courts: Resolving foundational issues in justice systems
  • Distributive justice’s significance in the framework of criminal justice
  • Mechanisms and taxonomies in categorization of crimes
  • Looking at the methodologies and considerations for jury selection processes:
  • The role of crime mapping in modern criminal justice dynamics

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Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Home Essay Samples

Essay Samples on Crime

Even if you are not majoring in Criminology, Law, or Forensic studies, dealing with the subject of crime can be inevitable. It’s always helpful if you can start your writing through the lens of legislation. It will help your readers understand more about the crime. See our free crime essay examples that will address numerous issues and disciplines. For example, some assignments below also focus on a cultural part of the crime like wearing a hoodie and dealing with racial prejudice. You will find several historical crime topics included to help you cover a wider range of things. If you would like to address similar topics, these free samples will help you choose a subject. You can use these as a template for your writing. These are also helpful as you learn how to structure essays on crime. See how each introduction tends to provide a brief explanation before resulting in a thesis statement. If you are working with a case study or court hearings, you can seek similar case studies to help yourself compare things. You must choose your topic first and then look through our free samples on crime to see how things have been approached in practice.

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The Auckland Mass Shooting: a Tragedy at the Women's World Cup 2023

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8.1 The Problem of Crime

Learning objectives.

  • Understand the extent of public concern about crime.
  • Explain how the news media contribute to myths about crime.
  • Describe how crime in the United States is measured.

Put most simply, crime is behavior that is prohibited by the criminal law because it is considered especially harmful or offensive. This simple definition, however, raises many questions:

  • Who decides what is offensive or harmful?
  • Are some harmful behaviors not considered crimes, and are some crimes not that harmful?
  • Are some people more likely than others to be considered criminals because of their gender, race and ethnicity, social class, age, or other aspect of their social backgrounds?

These questions lie at the heart of the sociological study of deviance, of which crime is a special type. Deviance is behavior that violates social norms and arouses strong social disapproval. This definition reflects the common sociological view that deviance is not a quality of a behavior itself but rather the result of what other people think about the behavior. This view is reflected in an often-cited quote from sociologist Howard S. Becker (1963, p. 9), who wrote several decades ago that “deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules or sanctions to an ‘offender.’ The deviant is one to whom that label has been successfully applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label.”

This definition reminds us that some harmful behaviors, such as white-collar crime, may not be considered deviant and fail to result in severe legal punishment, perhaps because wealthy individuals perform them. It also reminds us that some less harmful behaviors, such as prostitution, may be considered very deviant because the public deems the behavior immoral and because poor people engage in them. As these possibilities suggest, the application of a criminal label to an offender is problematic : People arrested and/or convicted of a crime may not have engaged in a very harmful behavior or even in the behavior of which they are suspected, and people with no criminal record have in fact engaged in harmful and even criminal behavior.

Public Concern about Crime

The American public is clearly concerned about crime. Two-thirds of the public said in a 2011 Gallup poll that crime had risen from the previous year. More than a third, 38 percent, said they would be “afraid to walk alone at night” within one mile of their residence; this figure translates to more than 86 million adults. In the same poll, 47 percent (or about 114 million adults) said they worry about their homes being burglarized, and 44 percent said they worry about thefts of or from their motor vehicles. Corresponding figures for other crimes were: experiencing identity theft, 67 percent; getting mugged, 34 percent; getting attacked while driving your car, 19 percent; being sexually assaulted, 22 percent (including 37 percent of women); and getting murdered, 20 percent (among the lowest figures in this list, but one that still amounts to 42 million adults worrying about being murdered).

Although the public is concerned about crime, at least some of this concern might exceed what the facts about crime would justify. For example, although most of the public, as we just noted, thinks the crime rate has been rising, this rate has actually been declining since the early 1990s. And although one-fifth of the public worries about getting murdered, homicides comprise less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all violent and property crime ( street crime ); only about 7 of every 100,000 Americans, or 0.007 percent, are murdered every year; homicide does not rank among the top ten causes of death (which include heart disease and cancer); and the number of homicides is much lower than the number of deaths from harmful behavior by corporations (such as pollution or unsafe products and workplaces). Crime is indeed a real problem, but public concern about crime may be higher than the facts warrant.

Media Myths

To the extent this is true, news media coverage of crime may be partly responsible (Robinson, 2011). For example, if the television news and newspapers suddenly have several stories about a few sensational crimes, public concern about crime may jump, even though crime in general has not risen at all. Similarly, the news media have increased their crime coverage even when crime is falling, as happened during the early 1990s when the major US television networks more than doubled their nightly news stories about crime even though crime had been declining (Freeman, 1994).

The news media, in fact, distort the amount and nature of crime in several ways (Surette, 2011). First, they overdramatize crime by reporting it in many news stories. Crime dominates news coverage in many newspapers and television newscasts, and, as just noted, the media may devote much coverage to a few sensational crimes and create the false impression that a “crime wave” is occurring when the crime rate may even be declining.

Second, the media devote particularly heavy coverage to violent crime, reflecting the common saying that “if it bleeds, it leads.” For example, more than 25 percent of the crime stories on evening newscasts and in newspapers concern homicide, even though homicide comprises less than 1 percent of all crime (Feld, 2003). Similarly, the vast majority of crime stories feature violent crime, even though violent crime comprises only about 12–14 percent of all street crimes combined. Media attention to violent crime thus gives the public the false impression that most crime is violent when in fact most crime involves a theft of some sort ( property crime ).

Police Line Do Not Cross

The news media feature violent crime, even though violent crime comprises only a small portion of all crime.

Darla Hueske – did not cross – CC BY-ND 2.0.

Third, the media tend to highlight crimes committed by African Americans or other people of color and crimes with white victims. A greater percentage of crime stories involve people of color as offenders than is true in arrest statistics. A greater percentage of crime stories also involve whites as victims than is actually true, and newspaper stories of white-victim crimes are longer than those of black-victim crimes. Crimes in which African Americans are the offenders and whites are the victims also receive disproportionate media coverage even though most crimes involve offenders and victims of the same race. In all these ways, the news media exaggerate the extent to which people of color commit crimes and the extent to which whites are victims of crimes.

Fourth, the media also tend to highlight crimes committed by youths. In one study of thousands of local newscast stories, about two-thirds of the stories about violence depicted youthful offenders, even though teenagers commit only about 14–16 percent of violent crime (Jackson, 1997). In a related problem, media stories involving teenagers are much more likely to show them committing crime or other antisocial acts than committing good deeds or other positive behavior. In these ways, the news media convey a false impression that leads the public to believe both that youths commit much of our violent crime and that youth violence has been rising even though it has actually declined since the early 1990s.

Measuring Crime

It is surprisingly difficult to know how much crime occurs. Crime is not like the weather, when we all can see whether it is raining, snowing, or sunny. Usually when crime occurs, only the criminal and the victim, and sometimes an occasional witness, know about it. We thus have an incomplete picture of the crime problem, but because of various data sources we still have a pretty good understanding of how much crime exists and of who is most likely to commit it and be victimized by it.

The government’s primary source of crime data is the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) , published annually by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI gathers its data from police departments around the country who tell the FBI about crimes that have come to their attention. The police also tell the FBI whether someone is arrested for the crime and, if so, the person’s age, gender, and race. The FBI gathers all these UCR data and reports them in an annual volume called Crime in the United States (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2011).

Most UCR data concern the so-called Part I Crimes , eight felonies that the FBI considers the most serious. Four of these are violent crimes—homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery—and four are property crimes—burglary, larceny (e.g., shoplifting, pick-pocketing, purse-snatching), motor vehicle theft, and arson.

According to the FBI, 1,246,248 violent crimes and 9,082,887 property crimes occurred in 2010, for a total of about 10.3 million. This is the nation’s official crime count, and by any standard it is a lot of crime. However, this number is much lower than it should be because more than half of all crime victims do not report their crimes to the police , and the police thus do not know about them. These unreported crimes represent “hidden” crimes or, as they are often called, the dark figure of crime . Thus the true crime problem is much greater than suggested by the UCR.

This underreporting of crime represents a major problem for the UCR’s validity. Several other problems exist. First, the UCR excludes white-collar crimes and thus diverts attention away from their harm. Second, police practices affect the number of crimes listed in the UCR. For example, the police do not record every report they hear from a citizen as a crime. Sometimes they do not have the time to do so, and sometimes they do not believe the citizen. If they do not record the report, the FBI does not count it as a crime. If the police start recording more reports or fail to record even more reports, the official crime rate will rise or fall, respectively, even though the actual number of crimes has not changed. This fact has led to crime-reporting scandals during the past two decades, as police departments in several major cities failed to record many crimes or downgraded others (e.g., calling a rape a simple assault) in an apparent effort to make it appear as if the crime rate were falling (Hart, 2004). In a third problem, if crime victims become more or less likely to report their crimes to the police (e.g., the advent of the 911 emergency number may have increased calls to the police), the official crime rate will again change, even if the actual number of crimes has not.

To get a more accurate picture of crime, the federal government began in the early 1970s to administer a survey, now called the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) , to tens of thousands of randomly selected US households. People in the households are asked whether they or their residence has been the victim of several different types of crimes in the past half year. Their responses are then extrapolated to the entire US population to yield fairly accurate estimates of the actual number of crimes occurring in the nation. These estimates are thought to be more accurate than the UCR’s figures, even if it is true that victims sometimes might not want to tell NCVS interviewers what happened to them (Catalano, 2006).

Table 8.1 “Number of Crimes: Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), 2010” lists the number of street crimes as reported by the UCR and estimated by NCVS. Note that these two crime sources do not measure exactly the crimes. For example, the NCVS excludes commercial crimes such as shoplifting, while the UCR includes them. The NCVS also includes simple assaults (where someone receives only a minor injury), while the UCR excludes them. These differences notwithstanding, we can still see that the NCVS estimates about 1.8 times as many crimes as the UCR reports to us. The dark figure of crime is large indeed.

Table 8.1 Number of Crimes: Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), 2010

Source: Maguire, K. (Ed.). (2011). Sourcebook of criminal justice statistics . Retrieved from http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/toc_3.html .

A third source of crime information is the self-report survey . Here subjects, usually adolescents, indicate on an anonymous questionnaire whether and how often they committed various offenses in, say, the past year. Typically, they also answer questions about their family relationships, school performance, and other aspects of their backgrounds. Self-report studies have yielded valuable information about delinquency and explanations of crime. Like the NCVS, they underscore how much crime is committed that does not come to the attention of the police.

Key Takeaways

  • Much of the American public is concerned about crime, and many people worry about becoming a victim of various types of crime.
  • The news media overdramatize the nature and amount of crime, and they give more attention to crimes involving African Americans and Latinos as offenders and whites as victims.
  • The nation’s major source of crime data is the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). However, many people do not report their crimes to the police, and police practices affect the number of “official” crimes reported by the UCR.

For Your Review

  • Why do you think so many Americans are afraid of crime even though the crime rate has greatly declined since the early 1990s?
  • Why is it difficult to measure crime accurately? Why is the measurement of crime by the FBI inaccurate?

Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the sociology of deviance . New York, NY: Free Press.

Catalano, S. M. (2006). The measurement of crime: Victim reporting and police recording . New York, NY: LFB Scholarly.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2011). Crime in the United States, 2010 . Washington, DC: Author.

Feld, B. C. (2003). The politics of race and juvenile justice: The “due process revolution” and the conservative reaction. Justice Quarterly, 20 , 765–800.

Freeman, M. (1994, March 14). Networks doubled crime coverage in ‘93, despite flat violence levels in US society. Mediaweek, 4 , p. 4.

Hart, A. (2004 , February 21 ). Report finds Atlanta police cut figures on crimes. New York Times , p. A1.

Jackson, D. Z. (1997, September 10). No wonder we’re afraid of youths. The Boston Globe , p. A15.

Robinson, M. B. (2011). Media coverage of crime and criminal justice . Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.

Surette, R. (2011). Media, crime, and criminal justice: Images, realities, and policies (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Social Problems Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Crime As A Social Problem Essay Example

Since the dawn of recorded history on earth, crime has been and continues to be a huge problem that citizens, law enforcement, governing bodies, and country leaders have not been able to immobilize. Ranging from simple traffic stops that end in warnings or citations to mass genocidal war crimes, the war on crime the world over has remained an at large issue that has yet to be solved. Many question the motives of all crimes, and the answer likely lays deep in the suspect’s mindset, emotions, or conditioning based on the environment they were raised in or the on that the criminal concurrently resided in. Other factors that could be attributed a crime of any substantiality, including any sort of debilitating mental illness or the intoxication levels of the suspect at the time of the crime. Whatever the case may be, psychology and the state of an individual’s mind during the committing of a crime often play a large role on the motives and actions of said individual. 

The first of a few attributing factors to crimes and activities related to crimes is the biological factors that play into the feelings of aggression or anger leading up to a crime being committed. In the social psychology section of the textbook, there is a section that takes deep search into the neurobiological and biological factors contributing to altruism and aggression alike. These readings attribute the aggression factor in human/criminal behavior to various subjects, ranging from genes decided before birth that produce an overwhelmingly vicious offspring through selective breeding, to neurobiological factors including currents passing through the limbic system of the brain, all the way to certain hormones present in high stress situations like testosterone that can come to the forefront and influence behavior into an aggressive manner. These biological factors, whether they be predetermined before birth or overwhelmingly present during an impulse situation, have the ability to and certainly do play a role in various crimes across the world. 

Social and personality factors also play a major role in the influencing and overall committal of crimes. The personality that is worst fit for any frustrating or stressful situations that could have the outcome of violence or any other sort of escalation runs along the lines of having low agreeableness, low conscientiousness, and high neuroticism. Low agreeableness could cause an unnecessary altercation to erupt from nothing but a harmless conversation. The low conscientiousness portion plays into the hand of not knowing one’s surroundings, how their actions will affect others, and how their actions will affect themselves and their near futures. This basically boils down to someone who is nearsighted and self-centered, but also quick-tempered with low self-control. These ingredients of a negative personality mixed with an aversive experience or situation, whether that be hot temperatures, a crowded environment, etcetera can create a concoction that is bound to go nuclear. 

The development of a person from adolescence to adulthood is another interesting process to watch when considering the shaping of criminals and crime as a whole. In some situations, a person can be brought up and developed with a mental illness effecting their behavior and the way their mind works. However, this is only in rare cases, as, according to results found from a study performed by WebMD, only 7.5% of all crimes can be attributed to mental illnesses. Some circumstances find that the suspect of any alleged crime was brought up in an unhealthy environment for the suspect, which could include violence in the home, living in unsafe or an unstable location, or any situation that could cause the hinderance of the kid receiving proper education. But something more out of the ordinary and more in the face of children in households nowadays is the overwhelming effects of television and video games. The recent uptick in violence in both of these expository forms of information and entertainment have many theorizing and researching the topic of whether or not it actually affects children enough to become criminals in the later stages of their lifetime. This brings up a meta-analysis which finds that, indeed, children who experience this fake violence in video games or on TV are more likely to engage in violence, as the tests find that the children in question would have been far more desensitized to real life violence. All criminals possess a mindset or motive that they fault for their committal of a crime, and sometimes the only place to look for answers is into the suspect’s past to see how they were raised and developed.

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Essays on Crime

The ethics of true crime.

True crime, a genre that delves into the intricate web of criminal behavior and the pursuit of justice, has garnered a massive following across various media platforms. However, beneath the intrigue lies a tapestry of ethical considerations that merit meticulous examination. This essay embarks on...

Strategies to Prevent Identity Theft

Identity theft, a growing concern in our digital age, threatens the very fabric of personal security and privacy. As technology advances, so do the methods used by malicious actors to steal sensitive information. This essay explores effective strategies to prevent identity theft and safeguard individuals...

The Importance of Protecting Endangered Species

Our planet's rich biodiversity is a source of wonder and a testament to the intricate web of life that has evolved over millions of years. However, this diversity is now under threat as numerous species face the peril of extinction. The decline in global biodiversity...

Confronting Social Injustice: Criminal Justice Reform

The criminal justice system plays a crucial role in maintaining law and order in society. However, it is not immune to flaws and biases that perpetuate social injustice. Throughout history, marginalized communities, particularly people of color, have faced disproportionate targeting, unfair treatment, and harsher punishments...

The Phenomenon of Missing White Woman Syndrome

In a world where news cycles dictate public attention, a disconcerting pattern has emerged - the "Missing White Woman Syndrome." This term refers to the disproportionate media coverage and public concern given to cases involving missing or endangered white women, often overshadowing similar incidents involving...

Young People Commit Crime: Understanding Factors

Crime is a complex issue that affects societies worldwide, and understanding the reasons behind why young people engage in criminal activities is crucial for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. This essay aims to explore the factors that contribute to youth crime, including socio-economic factors,...

Why Should Felons Be Allowed to Vote: Respecting Human Rights

What’s the point? What's the point of sending people to jail in hopes of rehabilitation and then taking away rights that every human has? As if they are less than a human, when after an individual gets out of jail it is already hard enough...

Death Penalty Vs Life Imprisonment: What Brings to Better Society

Abolition of the death penalty is one of the most controversial topics in the United States of America. There is a popular phrase that a lot of the death penalty supporters use to justify the death penalty:” An eye for an eye.” This is means,...

Negative Effects of Immigration in America: the Issue of Crime Rate

One of the most underlying controversial themes in contemporary society reveals the connection between crime and immigration. Immigration in the contemporary United States exposes heavily debated issue of public policy. Security and security concerns strongly frame this discussion. One side of the debate supports a...

The Silent Suffering: Exploring the Effects of Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is a type of violence that involves the use of force to harm another person's body or physical well-being. Physical abuse essay reveals that this form of abuse can take many different forms, from hitting, slapping, and punching to burning, biting, and choking....

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  • Crime Prevention
  • Serial Killer
  • Child Abuse
  • Identity Theft
  • Juvenile Delinquency
  • White Collar Crime
  • Cyber Crimes
  • Forensic Science
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Criminal Justice
  • Broken Windows Theory
  • Criminal Behavior
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Criminal Profiling
  • Criminals in Society
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Juvenile Crime
  • Juvenile Justice System
  • Organized Crime
  • Physical Abuse
  • Prostitution
  • Sex Offender
  • Somali Piracy
  • Violent Crime

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Descriptive Essays about Criminology 

Read the following examples to learn more! 

Title: The Impact of the Death Penalty on Crime Rates - Criminology Essay 

The psychological effects of Incarceration on Inmates

The history of forensic science and its impact on modern criminal investigations

Expository Essays about Criminology 

Here is a top example of an expository essay about criminology. 

Title: The Role of Social Media in the Spread of Criminal Activity

The factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency

The Impact of community policing on crime prevention

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Persuasive Essays about Criminology 

Title: The Need for Criminal Justice Reform in the United States

The ethical implications of using facial recognition technology in Law enforcement

The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism

Compare and Contrast Essays about Criminology 

Looking for a compare-and-contrast essay example on criminology? Read the following. 

Title: A Comparison of the Criminal Justice Systems in the United States and Europe

A comparison of the theories of crime causation of Cesare Beccaria and Emile Durkheim

A comparison of the effectiveness of prison sentences versus probation in reducing recidivism rates

Tips for Writing a Criminology Essay

Writing a criminology essay requires careful attention to detail and a clear understanding of the subject matter. Here are some tips to help you write a successful criminology essay:

  • Conduct thorough research: Before writing your essay, make sure you have a solid understanding of the topic. This requires conducting thorough research using a variety of sources, including academic journals, books, and government reports.
  • Develop a clear and concise thesis statement : Your thesis statement should clearly state the purpose of your essay and your position on the topic. Make sure your thesis statement is concise and easy to understand.
  • Use relevant and credible sources: When researching your topic, make sure you use credible sources that are relevant to the subject matter. Avoid using sources that are biased or unreliable.
  • Follow a logical structure: Your essay should have a clear structure that follows a logical sequence. Use headings and subheadings to organize your essay and make it easy for readers to follow your arguments.
  • Edit and proofread carefully: After completing your essay, make sure you edit and proofread it carefully. Check for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Make sure your essay is well-organized and flows smoothly.

In conclusion, criminology is a fascinating subject that requires in-depth research and analysis. Writing a criminology essay can be a challenging task, but it is an essential requirement for students studying in this field. 

By reviewing the examples of criminology essays provided in this blog, students can gain insights into the different approaches to writing a criminology essay and develop their skills in the subject.

However, if you are still struggling with your criminology essay or need help getting started, consider using our essay writing company . 

Our AI essay generator can help you craft a high-quality criminology essay that meets your requirements. 

Don't let the stress of writing a criminology essay overwhelm you - reach out to our criminology essay writing service today and take the first step toward academic success.

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May 14, 2024

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Most crime has fallen by 90% in 30 years—so why does the public think it's increased?

by Toby Davies and Graham Farrell, The Conversation

crime

Seventy-eight percent of people in England and Wales think that crime has gone up in the last few years, according to the latest survey . But the data on actual crime shows the exact opposite.

As of 2024, violence, burglary and car crime have been declining for 30 years and by close to 90%, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW)—our best indicator of true crime levels. Unlike police data, the CSEW is not subject to variations in reporting and recording.

The drop in violence includes domestic violence and other violence against women. Anti-social behavior has similarly declined. While increased fraud and computer misuse now make up half of crime , this mainly reflects how far the rates of other crimes have fallen.

All high-income countries have experienced similar trends, and there is scientific consensus that the decline in crime is a real phenomenon .

There is strong research evidence that security improvements were responsible for the drop. This is most obvious with vehicle electronic immobilizers and door deadlocks, and better household security —stronger door frames, double glazed windows and security fittings—along with an avalanche of security in shopping centers, sports stadiums, schools, businesses and elsewhere. Quite simply, it became more difficult to commit crimes.

Decreases in crimes often committed by teenagers, such as joyriding or burglary, had a multiplying effect: when teenagers could no longer commit these easy "debut crimes" they did not progress to longer criminal careers.

There are, of course, exceptions. Some places, times and crime types had a less pronounced decline or even an increase. For many years, phone theft was an exception to the general decline in theft. Cybercrime, measured by the CSEW as fraud and computer misuse, has increased and is the most prominent exception.

But this increase was not due to thwarted burglars and car thieves switching targets: the skillset, resources and rewards for cybercrime are very different . Rather, it reflects new crime opportunities facilitated by the internet. Preventive policy and practice is slowly getting better at closing off opportunities for computer misuse, but work is needed to accelerate those prevention efforts.

The perception gap

So why is there such a gulf between public perception and the reality of crime trends? A regular YouGov poll asks respondents for their top three concerns from a broad set of issues. Concern about crime went from a low in 2016 (when people were more concerned with Brexit), quadrupled by 2019 and plummeted during the pandemic when people had other worries. But in the last year, the public's concern about crime has risen again.

Proportion of people naming crime as a top three issue facing the country:

There are many possible explanations for this, of which the first is poor information. A study published in 1998 found that "people who watch a lot of television or who read a lot of newspapers will be exposed to a steady diet of crime stories" that does not reflect official statistics.

The old news media adage "if it bleeds, it leads" reflects how violent news stories, including crime increases and serious crimes, capture public attention. Knife crime grabs headlines in the UK, but our shock at individual incidents is testament to their rarity and our relative success in controlling violence—many gun crimes do not make the news in the US.

Most recent terrorist attacks in the UK have featured knives (plus a thwarted Liverpool bomber ), but there is little discussion of how this indicates that measures to restrict guns and bomb-making resources are effective.

Political rhetoric can also skew perceptions, particularly in the run-up to elections. During the recent local elections, the Conservatives were widely criticized for an advert portraying London as "a crime capital of the world" (using a video of New York), while Labor has also made reference to high levels of crime under the current government.

There are also some "crime drop deniers," who have vested interests in crime not declining due to, for example, fear of budget cuts. One of us (Graham) worked with a former police chief who routinely denied the existence of declining crime.

Despite the evidence of crime rates dropping, some concerns are justified. Victims, along with their families and friends, have legitimate concerns, particularly as crime is more likely to recur against the same people and at the same places.

And, while the trend is clear, there are nevertheless localized increases in some types of offending. When these relate to harmful and emotive issues like knife crime in London, for example, it is natural that this might have a substantial influence.

We are unlikely to be able to change political agendas or journalists' approach to reporting. But governments should be taking a more rational approach to crime that is based on evidence, not public perception.

Local governments need to keep on top of their local crime hotspots: problem bars and clubs where crime occurs, shops where shoplifting is concentrated, local road traffic offense hotspots and so on. The common theme here is how crime concentrates.

National government, meanwhile, should lead on reducing crime opportunities via national-level levers. Only national government can influence social media platforms and websites that host online crime and encourage larger businesses to improve manufacturing, retailing and service industry practices.

The positive story around crime rarely makes headlines, but this should not put us off from learning the lessons borne out in the data. We know this can work from past success, but it took decades to get car makers to improve vehicle security and to get secure-by-design ideas in building regulations. Society needs to move more quickly.

Provided by The Conversation

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Guest Essay

I Was Shot in Vermont. What if It Had Been in the West Bank?

A photo illustration with pictures of forests and scrubby hills in the background, and the closeup of an eye in the foreground.

By Hisham Awartani

Mr. Awartani is a Palestinian American student at Brown University.

That frigid autumn night in Burlington, Vt., was not the first time I had stared down the barrel of a gun. It was not even the first time I had been fired at. Half a world away, in the West Bank, it had happened before.

On a hot day in May 2021, a classmate and I, both of us 17 at the time, were protesting near a checkpoint in Ramallah. Bullets, both rubber and metal, were flying into the crowd, even though we were unarmed. I was hit with one of the former; my classmate, the latter. Before, we had been students cramming for our chemistry final; then, on the other side of Israeli rifles, we were a mass of terrorists, disqualified from humanity.

So that night in November, when my two friends and I were shot while we were walking on North Prospect Street, I was not particularly surprised to find myself lying on the lawn of a white house and blood splattered across the screen of my phone. Back home in Ramallah, I knew that I was one wrong move away from bleeding out; Israeli soldiers have been known to prevent or hinder paramedics from tending to injured Palestinians. But I had never expected to feel this on a quiet street in Vermont, on a stroll before Thanksgiving dinner.

The shooting of three Palestinian Americans in Burlington has received more sustained coverage than any single act of violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank since Oct. 7. Why did reporters and news channels interview our mothers and take our portraits when young men my age have been shot at by snipers , detained indefinitely without trial and treated as a statistic?

It’s a question that has eaten away at me these past months. Was it the shock of such a violent crime in peaceful Vermont? Was it that my friends and I went to well-known American colleges? Did the timing of our shooting during a holiday weekend play a role? I’m sure it did, but to me, the determining factor is the reframing of the crime: Instead of settlements, the Oslo Accords or the intifada, the conversation around our shooting involved terms such as “gun violence,” “hate crimes” and “right-wing extremism.” Instead of being maimed in Arab streets, we were shot in small-town America. Instead of being seen as Palestinians, for once, we were seen as people.

Death and dehumanization are status quo for Palestinians. We grow used to being funneled through checkpoints and strip-searched, assault rifles trained on us all the while. The result is a constant existential calculus: If an unarmed autistic man , an 8-year-old boy and a journalist wearing a vest emblazoned “Press” could be perceived to be such a threat that they were shot dead, then I must accept that by existing as a Palestinian, I am a legitimate target.

This dynamic was so ubiquitous to me that I could not quite put it into words until I left the West Bank to attend college in the United States. My classes gave me the vocabulary to understand dehumanization, the portrayal of the colonized as a violent primitive. I realized that the infrastructure of the occupation — the checkpoints, the detentions, the armed settlers encroaching — is built around the violence I am assumed to be capable of, not who I am.

This system of othering — Israeli-only roads, fenced-off settlements, the “security” wall — is an inherent part of the Israeli state psyche. Yet far from ensuring Israelis’ safety, it instead inflicts mass humiliation on Palestinians. Close to half of the Palestinians alive today were born after the violence of the second intifada, and have interacted with Israelis only in the confines of the security apparatus built in its wake. The military apparatus in my home in the West Bank is a judge, jury and executioner. While settlers in the West Bank are subject to Israeli civilian law, Palestinians are subject to military law. It is as if we are all already combatants.

The dehumanization we face is twofold: Beyond the day-to-day aspects of our lives, it permeates the media coverage of what we experience. In the news, our militancy is presumed, our killers unnamed, and our deaths repackaged into statistics. Somehow, we die without being killed. The very veracity of our deaths is called into question . The extent of the civilian death toll in Gaza should not come as a surprise when Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, can speak unchecked of “ human animals .”

My story is one drop in the ocean of suffering faced by Palestinians, and compared to the immense and indescribable suffering of the people of Gaza, frankly trivial. As I wheeled myself down the smooth corridors of the hospital where I received care after the shooting, I thought of those in wheelchairs in Gaza, struggling to navigate the rubble-strewn streets as they fled their homes. I thought of the reports about a woman being shot dead as she held her grandson’s hand while he clutched a white flag. I thought of a 17-year-old shot in the back by settlers in the West Bank . The pain of knowing their fates is fathomless, and it has yet to cease.

I think back to the circumstances in which I was shot with my two friends, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Aliahmad, and imagine them instead in the context of the West Bank. A Hisham, Kinnan and Tahseen shot there could have been left to die. Our names would circulate for a day or two in pro-Palestinian circles, but in the end, we would be commemorated only on a poster in the streets of Ramallah, our faces eventually worn down with time like the countless others I’ve walked past in the streets of my home. If that scenario does not stir the same feelings in you as my shooting, if your first instinct when a Palestinian is shot, maimed or left handicapped is to find excuses, then I do not want your support.

When I was still in the hospital, my family and I were visited by a friend who had just recently made it out of Gaza. He recounted how he saw the beginning of the Israeli bombing from his balcony, and soon after showered and left his house with a prepacked bag. He told me of tents, of hunger, of explosions, but there is one thing that really stood out for me as he recounted his ordeal.

He explained how the only way for him to survive in Gaza was to accept that he had already died. Only after he had come to terms with the realization that his life as he knew it was over could he enjoy a puff of a cigarette and a sip of coffee in the morning. This acceptance is the goal of the Israeli dehumanization complex. To be Palestinian today is to accept this fate.

I have been back on campus since February, and the adjustment has been tough. The man who is accused of shooting me has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder. But my mind is elsewhere. Every morning when I wake up, I check for one number . It has exceeded 35,000. It’s difficult for me to come to terms with the reality of so much loss.

In class, between Mesopotamian myths and commutative algebra, a few thoughts play on a loop in my mind: How can we come back from so much grief? How could we let this happen? What are we supposed to make of the world when Palestinian deaths are excused by talking points, repeated again and again on the news? I yearn to return to my home, to my olive trees, my cats and my family.

I realize, though, that when I cross the King Hussein Bridge from Jordan into the West Bank, I will return to my designation as a potential terrorist. I cease to be a junior at Brown University, a student of archaeology and mathematics, a San Francisco Giants fan, a Balkan history nerd. My entire identity will be reduced to my capacity for violence, not as a human being, but as a Palestinian.

Hisham Awartani is a Palestinian American student at Brown University studying mathematics and archaeology. He grew up in Ramallah, West Bank.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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We, The Voters

We, the voters

Migrant crime is politically charged, but the reality is more complicated.

Martin Kaste 2010

Martin Kaste

crime issues essay

Police arrest an alleged thief, not shown, on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, New York. The neighborhood has seen a jump in robbery over the past year. Many residents blame migrants, but this suspect was American. Martin Kaste/NPR hide caption

Police arrest an alleged thief, not shown, on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, New York. The neighborhood has seen a jump in robbery over the past year. Many residents blame migrants, but this suspect was American.

It's no surprise immigration is a hot political issue this year, as the number of foreign-born people in the United States reaches record levels and waves of migrants throng the southern border applying for asylum . What's less clear is why candidates are campaigning on the issue of migrant crime.

Donald Trump and the Republicans have highlighted cases such as the killing of nursing student Laken Riley in February, allegedly by a migrant from Venezuela .

"That could have been my daughter. It could have been yours," Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said in the Republican response to President Biden's State of the Union address.

But national statistics show no sign of a migrant-driven crime wave. Violent crime is trending down, after the spikes of 2020-2021, even as migration has surged. Past studies have found immigrants to be less likely to commit crimes. While it's possible the newer arrivals are contributing to crime rates, it's nearly impossible to tell how much, as the FBI's statistics aren't parsed by immigration status.

Is it easy for migrants to enter the U.S.? We went to the border to find out

We, The Voters

Is it easy for migrants to enter the u.s. we went to the border to find out.

Still, at the local neighborhood level, some see a problem.

"Unfortunately, crime is up," Carlos Chaparro says in Spanish. He runs a vocational school on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, New York. It's a traditionally Latin American neighborhood that has become a magnet for many of the approximately 190,000 migrants who've come through New York in the last two years.

crime issues essay

Johnny Velasquez says the arrival of migrants has coincided with rising crime in his home neighborhood, but police analysts say migrants may be targets for American-born perpetrators. Martin Kaste/NPR hide caption

Johnny Velasquez says the arrival of migrants has coincided with rising crime in his home neighborhood, but police analysts say migrants may be targets for American-born perpetrators.

"My clients say that when they leave [the school] at night, they're being attacked and mugged, increasingly in the last year," he says.

NPR talked to more than 20 people along this commercial strip, and they all said their impression was that crime has gone up in the last year. It's a trend that is reflected in the statistics. According to the New York City Police Department's CompStat system , crime in this precinct is up more than 15% in the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year, while it's down in the city as a whole. Robbery is up more than 40% in the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year.

"It happens a lot," says Johnny Velasquez, as he comes from his night shift as a security guard in Manhattan. Like Chaparro, he says there has been a lot more theft in the neighborhood lately — especially the grab-and-run kind.

How a U.S. Customs and Border Protection veteran sees his agency's mission

How a U.S. Customs and Border Protection veteran sees his agency's mission

"It's an everyday thing. People on the scooters, like driving by while you're on the phone, they'll take it. Every day, you walk here, you don't know what's gonna happen," he says.

Velasquez, Chaparro and others on the street blame the influx of newcomers.

"A lot of them [are] standing in front of the store selling lollipops to make a living," Velasquez says, but "there's other ones that come here for the wrong reasons."

Velasquez just witnessed an attempted street theft — a man tried to grab a backpack, but his victim fought back and the suspect was struggling with police just 10 feet away. But in this case, the apparent thief is American, and the victim is a migrant — a young man from Ecuador who'd been trying to fix the wheel on his scooter when he was attacked.

crime issues essay

Jose Villalobos used to work for the Central Bank of Venezuela. Now he sells snacks in Queens and says his countrymen are getting a bad rap. Martin Kaste/NPR hide caption

Jose Villalobos used to work for the Central Bank of Venezuela. Now he sells snacks in Queens and says his countrymen are getting a bad rap.

Jack Donohue, who worked for the NYPD for 32 years and is now a senior fellow at the Center on Policing at Rutgers University, calls the rise in crime in that neighborhood "substantial," but he says you can't automatically blame the migrants.

"It's a question of what's happening and dissecting it. Not just the occurrence, but who gets arrested for it, would shed a little light on what dynamics are in play there," Donohue says.

The available statistics don't shed much light, though. Neither the NYPD nor the mayor's office would talk to NPR for this story.

Migrants claiming asylum can be allowed into the U.S. Here's how it works

Migrants claiming asylum can be allowed into the U.S. Here's how it works

Meanwhile, the question of migrant crime in New York City has become politically charged, as local news reports focus on migrants accused of attacking police and participating in organized theft rings .

Most alarming to some are the dire news stories about a violent new gang .

Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan prison gang that has spread to other South American countries, and there have been reports of migrants in the U.S. sporting the gang's tattoos.

crime issues essay

Police officers from other precincts have been brought in to patrol Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, where robbery is up more than 40% in the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year. Martin Kaste/NPR hide caption

Police officers from other precincts have been brought in to patrol Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, where robbery is up more than 40% in the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year.

But Steven Dudley, an expert on Latin American gangs and co-director of the research group InSight Crime , says there's a difference between the arrival of migrants with ties to a gang and the arrival of the gang itself.

"You may see individuals connected to Tren de Aragua that may commit crimes on their own. But that doesn't mean that Tren de Aragua as a criminal organization is operational," Dudley says. "For us to consider Tren de Aragua operational in the United States, they would need to be active in a collective manner, committing crimes in a collective manner over a period of time."

He adds that migrants with "ties" to the gang may be coming to the U.S. to get away from the gang.

Carolina Reyna says she's worried about regular street crime. She lives in New York's largest migrant shelter, the Roosevelt Hotel near Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. She says the constant police presence there makes her feel safe, but she says she's no longer willing to go to the Latin American neighborhood in Queens — not since she was mugged there coming home from her job at a bar.

crime issues essay

A Venezuelan migrant gets a haircut in the street outside the Roosevelt Hotel, New York's biggest migrant shelter, a block from Grand Central Terminal. Martin Kaste/NPR hide caption

A Venezuelan migrant gets a haircut in the street outside the Roosevelt Hotel, New York's biggest migrant shelter, a block from Grand Central Terminal.

"The boy stabbed me on the left side, in the breast," she says. She says the kid had an Ecuadorian accent. "It's way too dangerous around there," she says. "There are people who are doing things that don't fit with why we came to this country."

Police took her to the hospital and told her there is security video of the attack. But since February, the case has gone cold.

While the NYPD wouldn't speak to NPR on the record, police say privately that the real problem is not that migrants commit more crimes. It's that those who do are difficult to find and prosecute.

"Making cases against the migrants, it's just very frustrating," says Christopher Flanagan, a retired NYPD detective who was commander for major cases. He says that migrants typically don't have the local roots and associations that investigators rely on and that there's often no criminal record available from the country of origin.

"They're going in with no information, very few avenues to identify people," he says. And if they do make an arrest, "they have very little confidence that the person's going to be present in court."

Venezuelans working along Roosevelt Avenue in Queens say those who commit crimes and get away are making it harder for the rest of the migrants.

"You have to enforce the law against them," Jose Villalobos says. He has been in the U.S. for five years and has worked jobs ranging from parking cars to selling snacks — which he does now under a tent draped with a Venezuelan flag. In his home country, he used to have a job with the central bank calculating the inflation rate until he was forced out for political reasons. Now that he's making his way in the U.S., he thinks his countrymen are getting a bad rap from other Latin Americans in the neighborhood.

"They say, 'Here come the criminals,' but no, we're not all like that. We've come to work and do good. As with any country, we have good people and bad," he says.

crime issues essay

“It’s creating more issues than it’s actually solving”: OKC Police Chief weighs in on new immigration law

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Several police departments are taking a stand against a controversial new immigration law.

“It’s creating more issues than it’s actually solving,” said Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley.

Chief Gourley raised concern about a new immigration law, first requested by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

OK AG: No ‘stop and frisk, ask for your papers’ when law targeting undocumented immigrants goes into effect

“If you’re here illegally and committing a crime, I advise you to go ahead and move out of Oklahoma right now,” AG Drummond previously told News 4.

Chief Gourley said the purpose of the law is to address illegal immigration, marijuana, and drug trafficking in Oklahoma.

“[Which I] Totally agree with,” said Gourley.

The law targets any non-US citizen living in Oklahoma committing a crime, and it gives officers the authority to make arrests based on immigration status.

Governor Kevin Stitt said police must have reasonable suspicion that the person has committed a crime before asking about their immigration status.

“We have to have border security. We’re going to be a law and order state,” said Governor Kevin Stitt.

While he expected the law, Gourley felt it is much too broad.

In a letter, the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police and Metro Law Enforcement Agency Leaders said they were not consulted before the bill was written.

“I’ve been a chief of a major city for five years, largest agency in the state. Wouldn’t hurt to bring me to the table,” said Chief Gourley.

The new law takes effect July 1.

“Is that enough time?” asked News 4.

“No,” said Gourley. “It’s just not possible.”

Now, the department is working on a way to carry out this law.

“The only way you can follow that is everybody has to be asked about their status,” said Gourley. “We don’t have the ability to run immigration status. We would have to count on another federal entity to do that.”

For years, OKCPD has worked to build trust with immigrant communities. Now, he feels all of that is lost.

“We’re going to be right back to square one,” said Gourley.

“Do you think people will be hesitant to call 911 even if someone’s hurt?” asked News 4.

“Definitely. And it already occurs,” said Gourley. “They’re not going to call us now to report crimes.”

Gourley said he knows crime must be stopped, but he does not believe this is the way to do it.

“Let’s try to get common sense law that targets that criminal element, not the entire immigrant community,” said Gourley.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.

“It’s creating more issues than it’s actually solving”: OKC Police Chief weighs in on new immigration law

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North Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing, citing crime

Simone Hetherington, a speaker during public comment, urges lawmakers not to pass the masking bill during the state Senate Rules Committee in the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Hetherington told lawmakers she is immunocompromised and is concerned how the bill would impact her ability to wear a mask in public. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

Simone Hetherington, a speaker during public comment, urges lawmakers not to pass the masking bill during the state Senate Rules Committee in the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Hetherington told lawmakers she is immunocompromised and is concerned how the bill would impact her ability to wear a mask in public. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are pushing forward with their plan to repeal a pandemic-era law that allowed the wearing of masks in public for health reasons, a move spurred in part by demonstrations against the war in Gaza that have included masked protesters camped out on college campuses.

The legislation cleared the Senate on Wednesday in a 30-15 vote along party lines despite several attempts by state Senate Democrats to change the bill. The bill, which would raise penalties for someone who wears a mask while committing a crime, including arrested protesters, could still be altered as it heads back to the House.

Opponents of the bill say it risks the health of those masking for safety reasons. But those backing the legislation say it is a needed response to the demonstrations, including those at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that escalated to police clashes and arrests. The bill also further criminalizes the blockage of roads or emergency vehicles for a protest, which has occurred during pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Raleigh and Durham.

“It’s about time that the craziness is put, at least slowed down, if not put to a stop,” Wilson County Republican Sen. Buck Newton, who presented the bill, said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

FILE - This undated photo provided by Robert Brown Public Relations shows Greg Lindberg. (Robert Brown Public Relations/Greg Lindberg via AP, File)

Most of the pushback against the bill has centered around its removal of health and safety exemptions for wearing a mask in public. The health exemption was added at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic along largely bipartisan lines.

This strikethrough would return public masking rules to their pre-pandemic form, which were created in 1953 to address a different issue: limiting Ku Klux Klan activity in North Carolina, according to a 2012 book by Washington University in St. Louis sociology professor David Cunningham.

Since the pandemic, masks have become a partisan flashpoint — and Senate debate on if the law would make it illegal to mask for health purposes was no different.

Democratic lawmakers repeated their unease about how removing protections for people who choose to mask for their health could put immunocompromised North Carolinians at risk of breaking the law. Legislative staff said during a Tuesday committee that masking for health purposes would violate the law.

“You’re making careful people into criminals with this bill,” Democratic Sen. Natasha Marcus of Mecklenburg County said on the Senate floor. “It’s a bad law.”

Simone Hetherington, an immunocompromised person who spoke during Wednesday’s Senate Rules Committee, said masking is one of the only ways she can protect herself from illnesses and fears the law would prevent that practice.

“We live in different times and I do receive harassment,” Hetherington said about her mask wearing. “It only takes one bad actor.”

But Republican legislators continued to express doubt that someone would get in legal trouble for masking because of health concerns, saying law enforcement and prosecutors would use discretion on whether to charge someone. Newton said the bill focuses on criminalizing masks only for the purpose of concealing one’s identity.

“I smell politics on the other side of the aisle when they’re scaring people to death about a bill that is only going to criminalize people who are trying to hide their identity so they can do something wrong,” Newton said.

Three Senate Democrats proposed amendments to keep the health exemption and exclude hate groups from masking, but Senate Republicans used a procedural mechanism to block them without going up for a vote.

Future changes to the bill could be a possibility, but it would ultimately be up to the House, Newton told reporters after the vote. Robeson County Republican Sen. Danny Britt also said during an earlier committee that he anticipated “some tweaking.”

House Rules Committee Chairman Destin Hall, a Caldwell County House Republican, told reporters before the Senate vote that the House planned to “take a look at it” but members wanted to clamp down on people who wear masks while committing crimes.

The masking bill will likely move through a few committees before hitting the House floor, which could take one or two weeks, Hall said.

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  27. North Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing

    This strikethrough would return public masking rules to their pre-pandemic form, which were created in 1953 to address a different issue: limiting Ku Klux Klan activity in North Carolina, according to a 2012 book by Washington University in St. Louis sociology professor David Cunningham.. Since the pandemic, masks have become a partisan flashpoint — and Senate debate on if the law would make ...

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