1. Examine your personal life course. What turning points did you experience that led to where you are today. As part of this response pls identify a criminological theory which best helps describe and or explain your unique experiences.
I believe the criminological theory that best describes how I got where I am today is the social learning theory. Social learning theory is based upon the role of observation and the mimicking or imitating of behaviors observed in others, usually referred to as models (Social Learning Theory, 2009). I am lucky that I have had a lot of advantages in my life that many people were not given, mainly the two best models I could ever ask for my mother and father. When I was young my family my parents worked hard to provide a good standard of living. Being an only child I was lucky enough to enjoy benefits that some of my friends did not have. Growing up I was able to see my parents work hard and save money for the future. As a child I grew up in small towns in Oklahoma which gave me a sense of how important family and friends are in molding children into adults. My dad was a welder and later owned his own construction business, he worked hard and did well for the family. My mother was an interior designer and had a Better Homes and Garden show home of the year.
Growing up in small towns I was able to play sports, drive to school, and enjoy my high school years. Shortly after graduation I attend college at a small university in Oklahoma. However, the oil field was booming and I quit to cash in on the boom. I worked in the oil field for seven years and then joined the Army. I went to have a successful 21 year career in the Army and have continued my service to this great nation as a government contractor in the intelligence field.
Social learning theory links a persons environment, behavior, and internal composition (Thompson 2013). I believe that I inherited genes that lead me to be driven and able to stay focused on a goal from my parents. That partnered with my internal desire to be the best at everything I do, as well as being raised in a safe and secure environment that valued and rewarded hard work and accomplishment has led to be the person I am today. My parents always provided me with positive thoughts and attitude through their work habits and behavior. These observations of how my parents lived their life has stuck with me.
Being raised as an only child gave me the opportunity to form my own opinions of how my parents modeled their lives. These observations were noticed not only as young child and teenager, but also as an adult. When I decided it was time to get married I tried to model myself after my father as a loving and caring husband. I think it worked out for me. When our first child arrived both of my parents were there to share in the joy of the birth of a beautiful daughter and granddaughter.
Being raised by my parents was an awesome experience and I thoroughly believe that I am the man I am today because of their actions. It was easy to follow their lead and let them mold me into the person I am today.
References:
Social Learning Theory. (2009). In A. Reber, E. Reber & R. Allen, The Penguin dictionary of psychology. London, United Kingdom: Penguin. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/penguinpsyc/social_learning_theory/0
Thompson, S. (2013). Social Learning Theory. In E. Fletcher-Janzen, K. Vannest & C. Reynolds (Eds.), Encyclopedia of special education: A reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/wileyse/social_learning_theory/0
2. Keeping labeling theory in mind, does sex registration (of convicted sex offenders) serve the public interests, and or does this labeling process do more harm than good? Pls fully explain and defend your views.
Sex offender registration laws were developed to regulate the offender that will be a part of the general population (Prescott 2012). The laws require the offender to register an address and provide law enforcement with other identifying information, as well as allowing the general public access to the information of a registered sex offender (Prescott 2012). They idea behind these laws is to help protect the community from potential threats, and to warn potential victims. I believe that in theory this is a good idea.
The sex offender allows law enforcement to know the address for sex offenders who are likely to re-offend, and warns the public that there are potentially dangerous people in their area. It could be a good tool for people who want to set up a camp, or have an in home daycare of individuals that should not being showing interest in the children in their care. While it is best practice to supervise children, and to teach them about dangers without having to know specific individuals that are a risk, having that information could save the life of the child. However, it is also potentially hurting the offender that has already paid their debt to society.
When looking at the registry in correlation with the labeling theory it could be argued that the registry is doing more harm than good. Labeling theory theorizes that if someone is labeled a deviant, they are more likely to engage in further deviant behavior due to the way and individual builds ones identity through in labels that are put on them (Restivo & Lanier 2015). This theory suggests that by labeling an offender in the community as a sex offender, they are more likely to commit further sexually deviant acts in reaction to a label placed on them. I do not believe that by labeling an offender as a sex offender is going to cause them to commit a rape. I believe that if they are going to rape again it would happen with or without a label. I do believe that the sex offender registry makes it harder for offenders to get acclimated to a community and may cause offenders to commit a crime sooner. If there is no motivation to stay out of prison because life in prison is better than life in the community on the registry than it is unlikely many sex offenders would be deterred from committing another crime.
While there is a lot of evidence to suggest that the sex offender registry may have a different effect than intended I do not believe it should be completely abolished. I believe that individuals should only be required to register for violent sexual crimes, or crimes against children. That would eliminate offenders on the registry for public urination or flashing. I do want people to be able to protect themselves from potential threats, and having knowledge of potential threats in your area could do that. However, I do not believe someone who was convicted for urinating in public should be labeled as a sex offender.
Best,
Jeff
References:
Prescott, J. J. (2012). Do sex offender registries make us less safe? Regulation, 35(2), 48.
Restivo, E., & Lanier, M. M. (2015). Measuring the contextual effects and mitigating factors of labeling theory. Justice Quarterly, 32(1), 116-141. doi:10.1080/07418825.2012.756115
