Crime And Theories Paper

Explaining Crime

The biological explanation of crime states that crime itself is not normal, something that an individual has no control over; a rational choice explanation of crime sees the origin of crime as a choice in which the individual has control of his or her actions. In studying the broad areas related to criminology one can find that cause is arduous to prove. Committing a crime varies for a majority of reasons to no reason at all. Aileen Wuornos for example, had her future planned from the get-go, and as some have said, before she ever touched the face of the earth. From the moment of her formation in her mother's womb, phases of her personality and behavior were constructed.

Aileen through her parent's DNA received a preference for belligerence, below average IQ, and alcoholism. Unfortunately her birth environment showed no promise of enhancing her life so that her pre-disposed genetic characteristics would fade by the wayside. Aside from being born into a secretive and paradox family, Aileen's neighbors, school, and rivals belittled her. Values of self and others as well as insistence of social control were never a part of her life; She developed negative traits instead of positive ones, societal norms were never taught, and the inheritance of many destructive characteristics through her born environment or genetics caused her to participate in crime and deviance (Nagin and Paternoster, 1994).

ETIOLOGY

Aileen's mother Diane was only 15 years old when she met and married Leo Dale Pittman. Within a few years of marriage Pittman abused Diane both emotionally and physically. Her last abusive encounter left her with a baby son and unknown pregnancy from which came Aileen.

Aileen "Lee" Carol Wuornos was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1956, and when she was but nine months old she and her brother were adopted by her maternal grandparents Lauri and Britta. Aileen and her brother Keith grew up believing that their real mom was their sister, and their grandparents were indeed their parents. It was not until the suicide of their biological father Leo that the children learned the truth of their real mother. While Keith seemed to accept his heritage with no problem, Aileen had great difficulty, and thus began her world of crime and deviance.

When Aileen was but ten years old she learned to shoplift and smoke cigarettes. When she turned 11 she had a frightful and unpredictable temper so frightful people dubbed her as Jekyll and Hyde (Russell, 2002, pp. 21, 87). Naturally due to mood swings and horrific rage she demonstrated Aileen had very few friends. Aileen was known to have been sexually active with her brother Keith (Russell, 2002) and soon learned to trade intercourse and oral sex for alcohol, money, and cigarettes. Often it was reported that Wuornos readily made herself available to guys who were more than eager to use her, yet she dealt with all sorts of name-calling after they were finished with her. This confused her often, as the guys who were so ready to use her would decline dating her at any given time.

When Aileen was the age of 14, she became pregnant and was put in a home for pregnant unmarried girls. Sad to say Aileen never laid eyes on her son and oddly wished he would never find her. She returned to school later in the year but as fate would have it her grandmother (whom she referred to as her mother) passed away. Her grandmother's death brought more friction between her and her grandfather, and because of this she decked school on a frequent basis and hitchhiked throughout the countryside with her newfound friend, Dawn. Dawn was obvious to the fact that Aileen accrued money by prostitution although they never discussed the matter between them.

When Aileen was 17 years old, she quit school for good. Her brother Keith passed away from cancer when she was 19, her grandfather committed suicide, and after receiving a lump sum from her brother Keith's will she wed a gentleman 69-years her elder who later divorced her because she was violent and beat him with his own cane. Many other events throughout Aileen's miserable life led to her demise, especially the event in 1976 when she met the woman Tyra Moore who, to Aileen was the love of her life and later became the downfall of it when she helped the police apprehend Aileen for murder.

TRAVIS HIRSCHI'S SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY

Much strength dominates the social control theory; this theory alone has linked criminology to theory all over the universe. Travis Hirschi tested this theory with junior and senior high school students in the County of Contra Costa, California (Hirschi, 1969). His post analyzation revealed revelatory support. While researching the students Hirschi concluded that youths who intensely remain attached to mom and dad committed les criminal offenses, while those who demonstrated really out-there (drinking, smoking, and drug usage) habits showed many signs of delinquency.Hirschi's theory has thrived in explaining the assault of crime and can be useful to middle and lower class homes (Siegel, 2009). Hirschi through this research proved that individuals with intense kinship to their societies seldom commit acts of deviance. Prediction and Prevention

Aileen Wuornos started out a miserable individual; she was disapproved by her birth mother Diane, who was a child herself, her father who was a known sex offender, and her grandmother, who passed away when Aileen was a teenager. Aileen's killing spree lasted from 1989 to 1990. She tried to claim that these actions were self-defense but, nonetheless was convicted of murder.

Many believe that Aileen was a psychopath who went on a rampage killing for money and self-gratification. In addition it may be postulated that Aileen's addiction to perilous and horrendous behavior replaced contentment many individuals seek in otherwise normal relationships. Aileen did not have the potential to even find gratification in what she saw as a normal relationship so she replaced acceleration for relationship. Aileen did this even though at the time, she was in a relationship with a younger female. The indication Hirschi suggests is that conformity is what challenges an explanation. According to Hirschi, conformity is calculated from social controls known as attachment, opportunity, involvement, and belief. Again an individual's connection in a structured social system is substantial when deciding his or her probability of becoming a subcultural deviant. In Aileen's case, she had very little to lose because of her upbringing, so she decided that rules