Articles on Criminal Violence

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Edwin Sutherland's theory of differential association suggests that individuals learn criminal behaviors by imitating behavior and ideas about criminality from people with whom they routinely associate. The author points out that the R.L. Peralta and J.M. Cruz article, "Conferring Meaning onto Alcohol-Related Violence: An Analysis of Alcohol Use and Gender in a Sample of College Youth", emphasizes that many college males "learn" (1) to demonstrate violent or aggressive tendencies as "macho" behavior and (2) to abuse alcohol as a socially acceptable form of entertainment. The paper relates that the study by B.S. Fisher, F.T. Cullen and M.G. Turner, "The Sexual Victimization Of College Women", suggests that people "learn" to engage in acts of sexual violence by discovering (1) that violence can be used to overpower other people, especially women, and (2) that sexual violence can be a mechanism for alleviating their own chronic problems including stress or guilt associated with a history of sexual violence as a child.

Table of Contents:
Summarization
Theories of Crime and Delinquency Control
Reaction/Social Position

From the Paper:

"I shared the information and insights gathered from this study with a friend of mine who works as a paramedic with an emergency medical team. Having witnessed many acts of violence and treated many women for sexual assault, the individual agreed that violence and substance abuse patterns often seem to be "learned" behaviors. He also felt that he could distinguish patterns of behavior among certain populations in particularly, including among those with low socioeconomic backgrounds or education."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Fisher, B.S., Cullen, F.T. & Turner, M.G. (2000). "The sexual victimization of college women." National Institutes of Justice.
• Peralta, R.L. & Cruz. J.M. (2006)."Conferring meaning onto alcohol-related violence: An analysis of alcohol use and gender in a sample of college youth." Journal of Men's Studies, 14(1): 109-125.
• Wikipedia. "Differential Association." Wikipedia Encyclopedia. 24, March, 2006: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_association

More papers on Articles on Criminal Violence:

• Research Paper # 118547 : "Mental Illness and Violence"
• Comparison Essay # 2115 : "Risk Exposure to Violence in Youth"
• Film Review # 108711 : "Violence in Film"

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