Broken Windows Theory in Criminal Sociology enforcement of criminal laws. As such, the sole aim of criminal sociology is to critically understand and empirically develop while testing the various proposed theories explaining criminal behavior, the formation of repressive laws and the functioning of criminal justice systems existing in different country. Modern criminology is rooted and grounded in the basic principles proposed in the writings of philosophers examining coexistence within society. It was then interesting to know why those who wanted more and were influential in the community were taken from the less powerful members of the community. Thus, the issue considered during these formative years focused on whether members of society could live together. Today, criminologists are concerned with providing answers to the same fundamental question of harmonious coexistence within the community. The Broken Windows Theory is a criminological theory that holds that visible signs of crime, antisocial behavior, and civil unrest create an urban environment that encourages more crime and unrest, including serious crimes. The theory suggests that policing methods targeting minor offenses such as vandalism, public drinking, and fare evasion help create an atmosphere of order and legality, thereby preventing more serious crimes. This research essay aims to explain why the broken windows theory is best suited to explain why individuals commit crimes. Furthermore, the researcher seeks to highlight possible flaws and flaws in the theory as well as how the approach can be applied to understand societal criminal behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Dismantling the Broken Windows Theory A theory is a system of ideas intended to explain something based on general principles independent of what is being examined. Therefore, it is important to note that theories are generally based on hypotheses, assumptions and accepted facts aimed at providing rational explanations of cause and effect relationships within a group of the observed phenomenon. Broken windows theory was developed by sociologists James Wilson and George Kelling in the 1980s. It states that "when minor crimes like vandalism (e.g. breaking car and building windows) are ignored, crimes bigger and more serious ones soon begin to occur.” For example, within the community, when one window is not repaired, there is a high chance that it will result in the rest of the windows being broken. Thus, sociologists explain that window breaking does not necessarily occur because a given area is inhabited by gangs and criminals. However, an unrepaired window indicates that no one cares, thus attracting more windows that are susceptible to burglary. The above theory, after being tested, brought out a new norm of behavior in the community closely related to criminal and antisocial behavior, leading people to adjust their normal behaviors accordingly. A reduction in the level of normality triggers a vicious cycle that progressively makes a neighborhood more rundown and more dangerous. Another example ofThe way the broken window theory can be applied in society is that of a person smoking cigarettes. If a person smokes cigarettes on a sidewalk that appears relatively clean, there's a good chance they'll keep the filter on until they find a trash can and dispose of it. However, if the street is littered with cigarette filters all over the ground, no effort will be made to try to find a trash can. So the smoker throws a filter on the ground with others assuming that the area is already littered with trash and that there is no significant difference that the filter of the single cigarette will make. Simply put, what the theory suggests is that "if a broken window in a building is not repaired quickly, other windows will immediately end up being destroyed by vandals." For what? Because the message that gets across is this: here, no one cares; he is abandoned. It should be noted that throwing cigarette butts onto the streets does not constitute a criminal offense under any circumstances. However, this philosophy can be compared to breaking the windows of a building simply because one of the windows is already broken and no one seems concerned about its making, thus setting a new norm where such activities are highly tolerated. In any community, a broken window signifies a physical symbol that the residents of a given locality do not particularly care about the environment and that minor deviations are highly tolerated. Knowledge about the broken window theory further influenced policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic, most notably in New York in the 1990s. For example, in 1993, several policies were introduced globally on the basis of the Broken Windows Theory with the sole purpose of highlighting and combating crimes that were detrimental to the quality of life. Therefore, all kinds of petty crimes, including but not limited to subway tax evasion, drinking and urinating in public, and graffiti were severely cracked down on. In 2001, a study of crime trends found that petty and cruel crimes declined significantly after the implementation of these policies. Furthermore, it was established that crime levels fell significantly over the following ten years. The adoption of zero-tolerance policing in which the criminal justice system takes minor offending as well as anti-social behavior seriously has led to a significant reduction in levels of deviance. Broken Window Theory in Practice According to systematic research conducted by Braga, Welsh and Schnell in 2015, policing strategies focused on disorder in general were found to have a significant and modest impact on reducing all types of crimes. The researchers concluded that such a positive outcome could have been attributed to the success of location- and problem-specific approaches applied by police authorities. Rather, researchers say aggressive policing strategies have not had a significant overall impact. As such, the researchers found, the police were strategically able to reduce unrest-related crimes and non-unrest-related crimes through the application of unrest policing efforts. However, all of the strategies mentioned above are important. Furthermore, according to the researchers, the broken window model applied to policing is relatively difficult to evaluate for several reasons. First, the only place where the policy has arguably been successful is New York. However, in other agencies around the world, the theory has been considered synonymous with law enforcement..

Essay / Broken Windows Theory in Criminal Sociology enforcement of criminal laws. As such, the sole aim of criminal sociology is to critically understand and empirically develop while testing the various proposed theories explaining criminal behavior, the formation of repressive laws and the functioning of criminal justice systems existing in different country. Modern criminology is rooted and grounded in the basic principles proposed in the writings of philosophers examining coexistence within society. It was then interesting to know why those who wanted more and were influential in the community were taken from the less powerful members of the community. Thus, the issue considered during these formative years focused on whether members of society could live together. Today, criminologists are concerned with providing answers to the same fundamental question of harmonious coexistence within the community. The Broken Windows Theory is a criminological theory that holds that visible signs of crime, antisocial behavior, and civil unrest create an urban environment that encourages more crime and unrest, including serious crimes. The theory suggests that policing methods targeting minor offenses such as vandalism, public drinking, and fare evasion help create an atmosphere of order and legality, thereby preventing more serious crimes. This research essay aims to explain why the broken windows theory is best suited to explain why individuals commit crimes. Furthermore, the researcher seeks to highlight possible flaws and flaws in the theory as well as how the approach can be applied to understand societal criminal behavior. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Dismantling the Broken Windows Theory A theory is a system of ideas intended to explain something based on general principles independent of what is being examined. Therefore, it is important to note that theories are generally based on hypotheses, assumptions and accepted facts aimed at providing rational explanations of cause and effect relationships within a group of the observed phenomenon. Broken windows theory was developed by sociologists James Wilson and George Kelling in the 1980s. It states that "when minor crimes like vandalism (e.g. breaking car and building windows) are ignored, crimes bigger and more serious ones soon begin to occur.” For example, within the community, when one window is not repaired, there is a high chance that it will result in the rest of the windows being broken. Thus, sociologists explain that window breaking does not necessarily occur because a given area is inhabited by gangs and criminals. However, an unrepaired window indicates that no one cares, thus attracting more windows that are susceptible to burglary. The above theory, after being tested, brought out a new norm of behavior in the community closely related to criminal and antisocial behavior, leading people to adjust their normal behaviors accordingly. A reduction in the level of normality triggers a vicious cycle that progressively makes a neighborhood more rundown and more dangerous. Another example ofThe way the broken window theory can be applied in society is that of a person smoking cigarettes. If a person smokes cigarettes on a sidewalk that appears relatively clean, there's a good chance they'll keep the filter on until they find a trash can and dispose of it. However, if the street is littered with cigarette filters all over the ground, no effort will be made to try to find a trash can. So the smoker throws a filter on the ground with others assuming that the area is already littered with trash and that there is no significant difference that the filter of the single cigarette will make. Simply put, what the theory suggests is that "if a broken window in a building is not repaired quickly, other windows will immediately end up being destroyed by vandals." For what? Because the message that gets across is this: here, no one cares; he is abandoned. It should be noted that throwing cigarette butts onto the streets does not constitute a criminal offense under any circumstances. However, this philosophy can be compared to breaking the windows of a building simply because one of the windows is already broken and no one seems concerned about its making, thus setting a new norm where such activities are highly tolerated. In any community, a broken window signifies a physical symbol that the residents of a given locality do not particularly care about the environment and that minor deviations are highly tolerated. Knowledge about the broken window theory further influenced policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic, most notably in New York in the 1990s. For example, in 1993, several policies were introduced globally on the basis of the Broken Windows Theory with the sole purpose of highlighting and combating crimes that were detrimental to the quality of life. Therefore, all kinds of petty crimes, including but not limited to subway tax evasion, drinking and urinating in public, and graffiti were severely cracked down on. In 2001, a study of crime trends found that petty and cruel crimes declined significantly after the implementation of these policies. Furthermore, it was established that crime levels fell significantly over the following ten years. The adoption of zero-tolerance policing in which the criminal justice system takes minor offending as well as anti-social behavior seriously has led to a significant reduction in levels of deviance. Broken Window Theory in Practice According to systematic research conducted by Braga, Welsh and Schnell in 2015, policing strategies focused on disorder in general were found to have a significant and modest impact on reducing all types of crimes. The researchers concluded that such a positive outcome could have been attributed to the success of location- and problem-specific approaches applied by police authorities. Rather, researchers say aggressive policing strategies have not had a significant overall impact. As such, the researchers found, the police were strategically able to reduce unrest-related crimes and non-unrest-related crimes through the application of unrest policing efforts. However, all of the strategies mentioned above are important. Furthermore, according to the researchers, the broken window model applied to policing is relatively difficult to evaluate for several reasons. First, the only place where the policy has arguably been successful is New York. However, in other agencies around the world, the theory has been considered synonymous with law enforcement..

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