ipl-logo

Neutralization Theory

968 Words4 Pages

Over the course of this paper, Sykes and Matza’s Techniques of Neutralization theory will by analyzed for critiques. This theory has already been discussed in part one of Theory Application and Critique assignment. The Techniques of Neutralization theory has both positive and negative aspects which correspond to the critiques of the theory. The first critique will focus on how Sykes and Matza only theorized about juvenile delinquents and their negative deviant acts, and the second critique will show that this theory can apply to wide range of crimes such as sexual abuse and corporate crimes. One negative critique of Sykes and Matza’s Techniques of Neutralization theory is that initially it only pertains to negative deviance of juvenile delinquents …show more content…

As explained by Heath (2008), all five techniques of neutralization are used justifying corporate crime. For example, due to the organizational hierarchy in corporations, and the extent to which how many people are involved, it is easy for individuals to point fingers at one another, thus denying responsibility (Heath, 2008). Another important aspect of corporate crime is the denial of injury. Many of the people involved in this type of crime participate because there is often a “faceless” character (Heath, 2008, 606). This suggests that when the victim is unknown or there is no interaction with the actual corporation, the attitudes towards committing the crime is more positive (Heath, 2008). As well, many of the people involved will turn the situation around and make themselves out to be the victim to manipulate certain ridicule if they are caught (Heath, 2008). In condemning the condemners, the legitimacy of law or policy those being charged under is called into question, while the most common response as to justifying the reason corporate crimes happen, involves appealing to higher loyalties like family, or for the best intentions of the corporation (Heath, 2008). Neutralization theory an at minimum, can explain certain reasonings for computer crimes such as child luring. In 2009, D’Ovidio et al. examined techniques of neutralization in support for child luring for sexual exploitation (Gottschalk and Smith, 2011). To rationalize and divert attention from websites attending to child exploitation would typically appeal to higher loyalties by acting as a social movement, rather than linking pedophilia and bringing attention to the support of exploitation (Gottschalk and Smith,

Show More
Related
503 Words | 3 Pages

When a corporation ignores safety protocol and a building fire kills its employees as a result, we don’t call that murder. Yet, all of those scenarios result in death. The people committing these horrendous acts are not punished like criminals because we don’t see their actions as crimes. They are seen as unfortunate side effects of progress, or “just the way things are.” The text begs you to look at your ideas about crime and to see them as distorted by the media, by our own bias, and by the justice system’s history of dealing with

Read More
1206 Words | 5 Pages

Within the past couple of decades, criminologists have developed different criminological theories that apply to the social behaviors and decisions of criminals. One of the earliest theories developed regarding criminality is the rational choice theory, in which describes the rationalization of determining if the rewards from committing the crime outweigh the consequences. In Scarver’s case, his decision to engage in criminal activities outweighed the potential consequences, or the other alternatives if he did not engage in such criminal activities. In addition to the rational choice theory, Scarver’s criminality can be related to the social disorganization theory, which describes the influence of one’s social and physical environment on one’s decision to commit a crime. Lastly, the strain theory can be related to Scarver’s criminality as well, as it is used to describe an individual who lacks the means to obtain such goals, and aspirations, so therefore, he or she engages in criminal activities to acquire the goals.

Read More
1167 Words | 5 Pages

This essay will discuss the crime news framing of Carly Ryan, 15, the first Australian to be murdered by an online predator. The Victorian schoolgirl was 14 when she met ‘Brandon Kane’, a 20-year-old Texas ‘emo’ guitarist living in Melbourne, through the online community vampirefreaks.com. ‘Brandon’ was an internet construct created and used by 50-year-old Garry Francis Newman to approach Carly. ‘Brandon’ and Carly developed an online relationship over several months before Newman, posing as Kane’s father ‘Shane’, attended Carly’s 15th birthday party in Adelaide. After Carly reportedly rejected his sexual advances, Newman left.

Read More
1831 Words | 8 Pages

In this case “white collar crime”. Therefore, before committing the crime the offender weighs the pros and cons associated with the crime. The offender who decides to commit “white collar crime” goes about it in the everyday activities in their job. The offender on a daily basis will observe a certain type of “white collar crime” taking place in his workplace and during the daily or routine interaction with his colleague who is carrying on the crime, will learn how to commit the same type of “white collar crime”

Read More
1213 Words | 5 Pages

Thus, the delinquent committing the act rationalizes that since there is no body of rules for either themselves or for their organizations then there is no criminal intent. They do not believe they have committed a delinquent act against the legal system even if they think what they did was wrong. The five techniques of neutralization therefore hit on the denial of responsibility, The denial of injury, the denial of the victim, the condemnation of the condemners and lastly the appeal to higher loyalties. (Sykes, et al,

Read More
1350 Words | 6 Pages

166) Harms that can be caused by corporations include corporate fraud such as pension frauds, harms caused by working like death, injury and disease, exposedness to airborne pollutants and food poisoning. Hillyard and Tombs (2007) state that applying a concept of crime to corporate harm is not compatible, on the grounds that administrative entities cannot be reduced to actions, motivations and objectives of an individual human representative who composes them. Hence, the zemiological approach might be more accurate to comprise mass harms caused by corporations (p. 19-20). For the study of global crime and insecurity this would mean that if the zemiological approach would be applied, a particular focus would be placed on collective and corporate responsibility.

Read More
991 Words | 4 Pages

Fifth, the specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable. Sixth, a person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of the law. Seventh, Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity. Eighth, the process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal and anti-criminal patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning. Lastly, while criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those needs and values, since non-criminal behavior is an expression of the same needs and values.

Read More
912 Words | 4 Pages

There are numerous theories that have evolved over time to explain why crimes are committed. These theories include anomie, strained, social control, and rational choice theory. In this research paper I will be focusing on rational choice theory. Majority of these theories focus on a macro-level, which is the largest, meanwhile some focus on a micro-level, the smaller level, depending on the circumstances. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize how rational choice theory is integrate with different crimes.

Read More
958 Words | 4 Pages

Media does not capture the world the way it is, but rather tends to emphasise and support the values and ideas of those who create the message they want people to hear. These are often changed because of commercial considerations and advertising, which plays a large part in media. This results in the perspective of some to be ignored or showed in negative ways. Ideas and representations about gender have been influenced by the media. In media such as advertisements, newspapers, magazines, popular music, films, and video games, women and girls are more likely to be shown in homes, doing domestic chores (e.g. laundry, cooking, ironing, vacuuming, etc.).

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

These individuals are likely to believe that the better way to reduce crime is to give criminals a harsh punishment. A positivist theory tries to explain that several biological and social factors may lead to criminal behavior. For example, there might be a lack of poverty and education in some places in which could result in a cause of higher crime rates but can be reduced if employment and educational opportunities are being suggested. Last theory is Individual trait, in which suggests that the most distinguishable differences between noncriminal and criminals are physiological and biological. Therefore a suggestion for this would be to limit the interaction between the ones who have the same

Read More
2091 Words | 9 Pages

The theory views the offender as either a patient or a victim or both. According to this theory a person who has committed an offense is not morally responsible for the offense he or she has committed because the offense might be the product of an illness in which treatment is required; this type of person is regarded as a patient. When the offense is the product of a dysfunctional social environment the person is regarded as the victim. The advantage of this approach is that it focuses on the offenders, instead of punishing the offenders this approach focuses on repairing and treating the dysfunctional areas that the offenders are experiencing by means of behavioral therapy and other therapeutic programmes.

Read More
1476 Words | 6 Pages

responsibility of the individual committing or partaking in the crime. Though this is a common thought it is simply untrue because it eliminates many of the social and environmental factors that encourage deviant behavior. The truth is, society plays a significant role in whether or not deviant behavior stops or continues for a specific individual who has already committed a crime. Ideas and concepts under the Labeling theories emphasis society’s roles and states that, “efforts [of] social control (…) ultimately trigger processes that trap individuals in criminal careers” (Cullen, Agnew & Wilcox 2014). Essentially, society forces invasive labels and social reactions that then cause many Individuals with criminal past to create self-fulfilling

Read More
1045 Words | 5 Pages

The set of the structural-functional theories are among the most widespread perspectives on the juvenile delinquency. The group of the theories regards that the behavior of the underage delinquent is caused by the breakdown of the social process that consequently results in the increase of conformity (Thompson & Bynum, 2016). The group of theories presumably blame institutions that are responsible for the socialization of the young delinquents for the way the socialize the individuals by causing them to conform to the values of the society. One of the central theories of the juvenile delinquency is the anomie theory that is rooted in the early studies by the sociologist Emile Durkheim.

Read More
1692 Words | 7 Pages

Criminology Case Study: Meredith Kercher Name Academic Institution Author Note Class Professor Date TABLE OFCONTENTS1 CASE/OFFENDER 3 OFFENSE/CRIME 4 MOTIVATIONS/BACKGROUND 4 THEORY 5 VICTIMS 6 COSTS 7 ADJUDICATION/DISPOSITION (PROSECUTION/SENTENCING) 7 CONCLUSION 8 REFERENCES 10 Criminology Case Study: Meredith Kercher

Read More
2409 Words | 10 Pages

(1916). The Causes and Cures of Criminality. Plenum Press. Koonce, A. (Ed.). (2012, November 27).

Read More

More about Neutralization Theory

Related Topics

Open Document