Category: Crime

Introduction

Security is an issue of concern to every individual. When a person’s security is threatened, it is almost impossible for him or her to function normally. For this reason, nations across the world are compelled to indulge in different activities to guarantee the security their citizens. To a large extent, security tends to boost economic growth and creates a democratic space where people can freely express their thoughts without fear of victimization.

I would, therefore, like to take this opportunity to bring to your attention some important issues about crime and victimization and how the taxpayers in Ontario are affected by criminal activities. I will also offer suggestions on how crime and victimization can be reduced in Ontario. The said issues and recommendations are discussed as follows.

The Risk of Crime and Victimization to Canadians and its Costs to Taxpayers and to Victims

Ordinarily, a rise in the level of crime and victimization will lead to huge expenditures that take up a big chunk of taxpayers’ money. Among other measures, crime will require the Canadian government to beef up its security forces. Despite the fact that an increased number of police officers will help to reduce the rate of criminal activities in Ontario, it will equally raise the cost of government spending. In turn, this is shouldered by the Canadian taxpayers.

Although additional funds to strengthen security forces will contribute greatly to the reduction of crime in Ontario, reduced funding for other public services will affect their quality. The Canadian government will also be forced to incur costs to cater for the demands of crime victims.

Increased criminal activities also tend create fear. This is regardless of whether one is a victim or not. Although victims of crime are the ones mostly affected, witnesses of frequent incidences of crime suffer. Apart from being filled with anger and a desire for revenge, victims also get subjected to social problems.

The Causes and Prevention of Youth Crime

One of the reasons for increased youth crime is the failure of parents or communities to effectively mould their children to become responsible citizens. Communities should be strong enough to shame anyone who fails to comply by the acceptable standards. In most cases, it is social disapproval that prevents individuals from indulging in any form of criminal activities.

Communities in which individuals have lost their sense of interdependence and connection with one another are less able to exercise strict forms of control in order to protect the youth. Certainly, parents have a major role of ensuring that the future of their children is not interfered with.

Other causes of youth crime include the increased rate of dropping out of school and lack of employment. When children drop out of school, they are exposed to so many challenges that mess up their development into dependable citizens. They are denied an opportunity to grow normally and experience the benefits of being part of an educational system. Out of frustration, some of the school drop outs may be involved in crime so as to provide for their emotional needs.

On the other hand, lack of employment creates a community with so many idlers. With so much free time at their disposal, the youth are compelled to look for alternative ways of keeping themselves busy. Sadly, some of them team up with criminals and are eventually led astray.

In order to prevent youth crime, it is important to plan for an early intervention. By identifying risk factors early enough, proper remedies can be sought. It is also advisable to use a targeted approach rather than a universal one. With a targeted approach, it is possible to address the unique problems of every individual and to provide a specific solution.

One of the most probable solutions is to ensure that no child leaves school for whatever reason. Professional counselors should be employed to help track children who drop out of school in order to establish the real problems they are facing and to offer working remedies. Where possible, the government must ensure that any youth who has completed school is engaged in a gainful activity. Finally, coercive engagement, based on tough sanctions for non compliance, is also necessary if the behavior of the youth has to be controlled.

Measures to Prevent Violence, Particularly Against Women

There are a number of ways to deal with violence and especially violence directed towards women. News media and information technology can play a central role in dealing with the problem of violence. Training and sensitizing journalists and other media personnel reporting on violence against women is a promising practice as it can enhance the quality of coverage and contribute to awareness and understanding of the causes and consequences of violence against women among the general public.

It is also necessary to promote public safety as a way to deal with violence against women. Generally, it is a good practice to make the physical environment safer for women. Safety audits may be used to identify dangerous locations, discuss women’s fears, and to obtain their recommendations for improving their safety. Education and capacity building is another option available to prevent violence. The formal education system can be used to address the problem of violence towards women and to challenge and eradicate existing stereotypes.

It may also be helpful for men to be trained on the importance of their role as husbands and leaders in the community. Rather than subjecting women to unfair treatment, men should be taught to provide as much support as possible to women regardless of whether they are married to them. Right from childhood, the boy child must be educated about the values of treating the female counterparts with respect and consideration.

Non Governmental Organizations and human rights advocates are also important players in eradicating violence against women in the community. The government should stipulate how offenders are to be dealt with and any suspected offenders must be subjected to stern punishment.

Measures to Reduce Opportunity for Crime

Situational crime prevention and deterrence measures are actions, environmental changes or other tactics that prevent crime by blocking opportunities or access to crime, hardening targets, strengthening potential victims against offenders, and increasing the risk of detection and apprehension by increasing guardianship. Typically, prevention and deterrence measures overlapping and are often distinguished by perspective.

Prevention refers to blocking opportunities so crime cannot occur, while deterrence measures usually increase the risk of uncertainty, severity, or swiftness of punishment and apprehension. Apparently, both can cause an alteration in the decision making process of an individual to commit crime, and both prevention and deterrence mechanisms can be found in the same interventions.

Opportunities for crime may also be reduced be devising mechanisms that will encourage the public to work closely with the security forces. To a large extent, members of a community are aware of what happens around them and those responsible for planning and executing criminal activities are often well known to them.

Once the public understands that those in charge of security can be trusted with sensitive information and that one cannot put his or her life in danger by volunteering vital information to the security forces, dealing with crime will become much simpler and the government will not have to spend heavily on crime related problems.

Ways to Improve the Effectiveness of Policing

Police leaders search for more effective ways to improve policing services. In the recent past, the movement towards community policing has been gaining momentum, and police officers are feeling excitement and interest in its application. However, traditional policing remains the foundation for community policing, transition to which requires cooperation and patience from police officers as well as the community.

A community policing philosophy when properly administered has many advantages, among which is a valuable reference point for problem solving. However, great results can only be realized when a healthy partnership exists between the police and the community. The essence of community policing is the provision of guidance for police behavior and police action. Police officers and citizens cooperating in the problem solving process may develop a better understanding of each other for the good of the public.

Ways to Protect the Needs of Victims

Over the years, victim rights movements have been able to achieve great advances on behalf of victims. This is quite obvious due to the increased level of involvement of crime victims in the justice system. There is a growing need among the victims to participate in every case that involves them. More than ever, victims are now willing to openly raise their concerns in public without fear. In addition, the need to compensate victims is gaining recognition in the eyes of the public. Much more is being done to improve the process of financial impact assessment so as to fairly compensate the victims.

Ways for Cities to Reduce Crime

It is common to hear those on the political right, dismissing investment in more education or housing as not being effective to reduce crime. This is just as common as hearing those on the political left say that heavier penalties will reduce crime and violence. However, it is not just a question of spending more taxes on education or policing, but a question of being smarter in getting agencies to work together more effectively and target their efforts on the situations that are at risk.

Key Recommendations for a Political Vision to Improve the Situation in Ontario

An important recommendation is the need for law enforcers in Ontario to turn their focus towards offering great support to victims of criminal activities. A substantial amount of the taxpayers’ money should thus be directed towards supporting initiatives to cater for the victims. It is also important to establish professional institutions that provide reliable training on crime prevention. Finally, the situation in Ontario can be improved by seeking to understand the concept of community policing and implementing it effectively.

Introduction

Principal global criminal issues and crimes refer to crimes that are carried out internationally and affect many nations. Sometimes, these crimes take place in one country but have an impact on other nations internationally. As far as global criminal processes and crime are concerned, there are actions such as securing evidence, witnesses, and suspects from different nations to prosecute a crime. Handling and solving global crime is extremely difficult since the field is exceptionally complex.

Moreover, crimes develop each day, and their trend differs depending on the country. The term global crime refers to a wide array of criminal activities. These include, but are not limited to organized crime, terrorism, drugs and arms trafficking, internet crime, tax crimes, money laundering, apprehending fugitives, crime against humanity, human trafficking, intellectual property piracy, endangered species trade, and artefacts and antiquities theft or trade. Law enforcement is recognized as an exceptionally powerful weapon for combating global crimes.

Money laundering

This refers to an action or anticipated action to disguise or hide the source of proceeds obtained illegally. On the contrary, the proceeds are made to appear as if their identity is a legitimate source. For time immemorial, illegally acquired money has been laundered and circulated internationally. This is accomplished through the abuse and use of money transmitters, intermediaries, as well as shell companies (Walker & Katz, 2008). International law bodies collaborate in a bid to curb money laundering. To achieve this, there is intensive global data exchange, supporting field operations, and coordinating experts from various sectors. Moreover, these bodies cooperate with international organizations in fostering global awareness.

Human trafficking

Human trafficking refers to the act of acquiring people through the use of improper means. Most of the time, human traffickers use deception, fraud, and force to acquire their culprits, with the main aim of sexual harassment and exploitation. Basically, every nation is impacted by human trafficking. However, every nation globally faces the challenge of targeting and executing human trafficking criminals, who take advantage of desperate individuals. As far as human trafficking is concerned, there is a need for nations to unite and help and guard human trafficking victims, as well as the smuggled migrants. The majority of human trafficking victims undergo unimaginable hardships (Waller, 2009).

Terrorism

The Cold War brought an end to how foreign threats were executed. The worry in many nations is insidious assaults, which threaten property and lives and bring about a fearful climate. There have been numerous terrorist attacks, for example, the Pentagon, New York City, and World Trade Centre. Chemical agents were used in the Tokyo subway attack. This heightened the concern from an international organization since it became evident that the attacks can occur anywhere.

The foreign groups involved in terrorism are not limited to national and governmental boundaries. Some groups are assisted by governments in their operations.

Drug trafficking

Drug trafficking is recognized as international illicit trade. It involves the sale, distribution, production, and cultivation of substances that are considered illegal by the drug prohibition laws. International bodies are continually researching and monitoring worldwide drug trafficking markets. This aims at comprehending the dynamic of drug trafficking intensively. Yearly, 430- 450 tons flow into the heroin international market. The majority of the illegal drug is obtained from Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, and Afghan. Several routes are used as the key avenues for heroin trafficking. They connect Afghanistan with the bigger markets in Western Europe and Russian Federation (Victor & Naughton, 2010).

The heroin market fetches approximately thirteen billion every year. Several countries are involved in drug trafficking. Therefore, international bodies have a great concern in terminating drug trafficking. In addition to this, worldwide drug cartels are still pumping immense amounts of heroin and cocaine into different countries. This has resulted in the destruction of immense lives, escalated public health expenditures, and resulted in other forms of crime (Waller, 2009).

Various International Criminal Justice Systems Comparison

The England and Wales criminal justice system adheres to an entirely adversarial system. The jury or magistrate listens to both opposing opinions about the case. The prosecution parties and defence present the case in the manner they think is appropriate. The witnesses are examined as stipulated in the law restriction. On the other hand, the Japanese system involves a semi- inquisitorial scheme. The police and judge participate in evidence preparation. The judge directs how the various parties will participate in the trial. The witnesses are questioned directly by the judge, but the prosecution parties and the defendant question the witnesses through the judge (Robinson, 2009).

While the England and Wales system utilises the jury system, the Japanese system does not. The Japanese system involves ‘Monopolization of Prosecution’, where public prosecutors possess exclusive power solely. In case the victim has the belief that there is an abuse of exclusive power by public prosecutors, the Monopolization of Prosecution is exempted. The victim may apply for a court trial (Muraskin & Roberts, 2009).

Both criminal justice systems assume the victim’s innocence unless he is proved guilty. The standard proof needs to be reasonably doubtless. The innocence presumption is essential in every criminal procedure stage. In cases of doubt, the will of the defendant is preferred. In addition, both criminal justice systems offer individuals various rights, which include the right to life, a fair trial, and the prevention of torture.

Addressing the Major Global Crimes and Criminal Issues

The global crimes discussed above are continuing to escalate, and result in complicated threats. As such, there is a need for a multi-disciplinary response. International bodies should involve various nations in prosecuting and investigating criminal activities. Second, the countries should participate in developing an international agreements network for promoting cooperation. This will ensure that global crimes are fought against effectively. Finally, technical aid and training programs will bear significant help to foreign nations, which are struggling to better their law execution abilities and legal infrastructure (Muraskin & Roberts, 2009).

It is worth noting that the judicial and police infrastructures in the majority of the developing nations are not adequately equipped to combat the various global crimes. This results from inadequate resources, corruption, and insufficient investigative authorities. The laws in these countries should be existent and updated. This will assist in curbing drug trafficking, terrorism, human trafficking, and money laundering. In Japan, a similar process is adhered to during criminal cases. The constitution offers protection to individuals during criminal investigations and court trials. Therefore, individuals’ rights are protected during the entire process.

References

Muraskin, R., & Roberts, A.R. (2009). Visions for Change: Crime and justice in the twenty-first century (5^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Robinson, M. B. (2009). Justice blind? Ideals and realities of American criminal justice (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Victor, J. L. & Naughton, J. (2010). Annual editions: Criminal justice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Walker, S., & Katz, C.M. (2008). The police in America: An introduction (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw- Hill.

Waller, B. N. (2009). You decide! Current debates in criminal justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Intellectual Property

Four types of intellectual property exist, and these are patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets (Whitman & Mattord, 2011). The patent is a document provided by a government to a person who gains exclusive rights to use an innovation or innovations in any way.

Copyright is a right to “original works of authorship” that can be literary and musical works, software, a piece of art (as cited in Reporting intellectual property crime, 2013). Trademark is a name or a symbol as well as a combination of these that can be by a person in commerce. A trade secret is a practice, method, pattern and so on that is used in an organization, and that is used as a competitive advantage.

Threats to Intellectual Property

Theft is one of the major threats to intellectual property, and cyberinfrastructure should be used to protect it from unauthorized use (Eastton & Taylor, 2011). Data associated with the intellectual property can be stolen and sold on the black market. Thus, people will gain profit and can even harm the use of the products under the copyright. For example, a low-quality copy of a product can make people dislike the original item. It can also be used in various criminal activities (like drug trafficking or international terrorism).

Cyber Assets

Intellectual property is largely stored in the same way as any other types of data, but since it is highly valued the level of protection should be high. Servers and storing devices used to store the data should be equipped with efficient defense in depth applications (Eastton & Taylor, 2011). This software eliminates the threat of the unauthorized use of data.

DMCA

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (which was introduced in 1998) is concerned with various issues related to the copyright in the digital world and cyberspace (Dratler & McJohn, 2016). One of the aims of this act is to align the US copyright regulations with laws existing in other countries. Thus, the US law is consistent with various international regulations, which is crucial for multinationals as well as citizens who may have business interests abroad or run a business in other countries.

Import & Export Laws

The modern business world is globalized, and people do business and share intellectual property regardless of geographic boundaries. Therefore, the development of and compliance with sound import and export laws is essential for intellectual property protection (Whitman & Mattord, 2011). Companies should be aware of and comply with copyright laws when sharing information, selling and buying products and services associated with intellectual property. These laws regulate such operations and provide clear guidelines that enable organizations to avoid many legal issues associated with intellectual property.

Defense in Depth

Defense in depth is crucial for intellectual property protection when it comes to the cyberspace. These applications protect computers, devices, servers, and networks from any hacker attacks. Thus, defense in depth software ensures the safety of data associated with intellectual property since it minimizes the threats of unauthorized access to and use of data.

Uruguay Round Agreements Act

The Uruguay Round Agreements Act was enacted in 1994 (Halpern & Johnson, 2014). It aimed to implement an international agreement that focuses on regulations concerning intellectual property the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. These regulations are accepted worldwide. The importance of the act lies in the opportunities it provides to American business people who operate their business across borders.

References

Dratler, J., & McJohn, S.M. (2016). Licensing of intellectual property. Akron, OH: Law Journal Press.

Eastton, C., & Taylor, J. (2011). Computer crime, investigation, and the law. Boston, MA: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.

Halpern, S.W., & Johnson, P. (2014). Harmonising copyright law and dealing with dissonance: A framework for convergence of US and EU law. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Reporting intellectual property crime: A guide for victims of copyright infringement, trademark counterfeiting, and trade secret theft. (2013).

Whitman, M. E., & Mattord, H. (2011). Reading & cases in information security: Law & ethics. Boston, MA: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.

Community-oriented policing, an organizational philosophy and management approach which has been effective in promoting community, government, and police partnerships, is often considered one of the most valuable ways to minimize both criminal activity and fear of crime in the community through proactive problem solving. However, the implications of the approach in dealing with “victimless” crime need some clarifications.

It has been maintained that the victimless crimes need not essentially be victimless and there are also views suggesting that the role of the law needs to be restricted. One of the major factors relating to the “victimless” crimes has been that they are considered a misnomer. In this investigative paper, the focus has been the identification of why “victimless” crimes may be a misnomer, analyzing the specific “victimless” crime of prostitution.

In an analysis of prostitution as a “victimless” crime, it is primary to maintain that there is an ongoing debate over the classification of the crime into the “victimless” crimes. To avoid an erroneous conclusion on the question of prostitution, it is fundamental to understand a “victimless” crime as a crime committed by an adult, not by a minor, who does not regard themselves as the victims of their behavior. Prostitution and the related offenses form the major part of the crimes observed as “victimless” crimes.

To have a clearer view, prostitution may be understood, as Joel Samaha puts it, as “an ancient business, prospering at all cultures at all times no matter what the condemnation of religion and morals. It’s also a crime nearly everywhere in the United States, persisting no matter how severe the laws or how tough the efforts of police to enforce them.” (p 456, Criminal Law, by Joel Samaha, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, 2004) To evaluate the crime of prostitution in terms of wrongness, it is unquestionable that prostitution is a practice that can permanently harm the good interest of the community and thereby it is a wrong done not the individuals concerned alone but the entire people residing in the community.

There have been multiple perspectives that view the problem of prostitution and public sexual activities differently. Whereas some do not believe the behavior of prostitution as composing a major public safety threat, others view the behavior as a “victimless crime” involving two consenting partners. Yet another group considers the behavior as a chief threat to the community’s “moral decency.” Prostitution and related sexual offenses and behaviors have significantly negative connotations to many people and often moral overtones encompass public discussions about the issue. “Community morals and beliefs about how the law should regulate morality will affect how each community addresses the problem…

Primarily, such activity constitutes nuisance behavior and does not pose a serious threat to community safety. However, there are many reasons why the police should care about it.” (Illicit Sexual Activity in Public Places, by Kelly Dedel Johnson) Some of the reasons for the intervention of the police include facts such as prostitution and public sexual activity can offend inadvertent witnesses, they deter the legitimate use of public spaces, they may cause the spread of sexually transmitted diseases etc. Therefore, the role of the police in the prevention social crimes such as prostitution is often maintained.

In the background of the demands for the intervention of the police to maintain social good against the evils such as prostitution, the usefulness of community-oriented policing comes to question. As Michael Palmiotto suggests, “The key question about community policing is whether it will produce safer communities.” (p 195, Community Policing: A Policing Strategy for the 21st Century, By Michael Palmiotto, Published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2000) Although there is no definitive answer to the question as for now, some anecdotal evidences suggest the value of community policing in the maintenance of peace and safety of the people.

Attempts to perceive prostitution as a “victimless” crime calls for the intervention of the services such as community-oriented policing. However, there has been a strong intuition that prostitution and other “victimless” crimes are a misnomer and the laws to check such crimes are ineffective. “Laws to prevent “victimless” crimes generally have nothing to do with right or wrong, and are enacted in order to generate revenue for the government and/or justice system, and primarily, to condition the population into conformity.” (Crime and Punishment).

There have been serious debates on the deliberation of prostitution as one of the “victimless crimes.” People who advocate for strong legal action against prostitution are concerned of personal propriety or religious objection and not sympathy for the people involved. The value of the law against the “victimless crime” of prostitution has been often raised and various factors contribute to make the “victimless crimes” is considered misnomer. “That crimes such as drug use and prostitution have to be labeled “victimless” brings forth one of the most telling arguments: most people likely to be harmed by these acts suffer more under the law than they would under that from which they are supposedly being protected.” (Michael Norwitz – “Victimless-Crime Laws”).

In conclusion, it is important to establish that community-oriented policing has great validity in reducing the criminal activity as well as fear of crime in the community. On the one hand, it is argued that community-oriented policing may be effectively used in the prevention of the “victimless” crimes such as prostitution. On the other, there are serious debates regarding the postulation of prostitution as a “victimless” crime. Prostitution, often regarded as a “victimless” crime, has serious implications in terms of wrongness and the role of the law to deal with this crime is complex.

Bibliography

p 456, Criminal Law, by Joel Samaha, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, 2004.

Illicit Sexual Activity in Public Places, by Kelly Dedel Johnson). Web.

p 195, Community Policing: A Policing Strategy for the 21st Century, By Michael Palmiotto, Published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2000.

Crime and Punishment. Web.

Michael Norwitz – “Victimless-Crime Laws”. Web.

Introduction

Hate crime is defined as an offence in which a criminal identifies a victim at least in part because of animosity towards members of the group to which the victim belongs. Perpetrator’s intentions and relationship with the victim determine the nature and the extent of hate crimes. Since intention is relevant in providing the essential information on the crime, it is rarely looked into in details to reveal the magnitude of the crime.

Cases of hate crimes are familiar almost in all countries because of the weak justice systems that lack proper structures to deal with such behaviors. Unfortunately, it is hard to define hate crimes succinctly for it cuts across different fields from murder through assault, and including mere threats to intimidation among other criminal offences.

In other words, hate crime is a discourtesy without any particular judgment. Intolerance towards the victims of hate crime is the major single motivator of hate crimes. For these reasons, cases of hate crimes should be addressed promptly.

Rape and domestic battery are hate crimes because they psychologically torture and traumatize the victims causing more damages not only to the individuals but also to the families. Given that cases of hate crimes such as rape, domestic battery, murder, and human trafficking are increasing exponentially, the perpetrators of these violence acts need stricter penalties to deter them from perpetuating hate crimes in the society.

Criminal Acts

Just as previously mentioned, hate crimes are violent acts intended to hurt, intimidate or discriminate others on basis of gender, age, ethnicity or political affiliation. Rape and domestic battery are violent acts of hate crime that intimidate and discriminate women at home and in the society. Such cases of hate crime are exponentially increasing in the society because there are no provisions in the law, which ensure stricter penalties to men who are constantly intimidating and discriminating women.

Although the cases of rape and domestic battery are increasing, many cases go unreported because “…victims refuse to report such crimes so as to avoid the humiliation of recounting the event” (Gist 11). Since there are many unreported cases of rape and domestic battery that statistics have not revealed, perpetrators are continually committing more hate crimes while the victims continue to suffer without any justice.

Political affiliation and ethnicity contribute a lot to the hate crimes such as murder. Politicians misuse their political powers by inciting citizens to develop hatred towards each other basing on the political or ethnical orientation. For instance, the Rwandan genocide of April 1994 is still fresh in the minds of many people across the world.

The basis of this heinous act graduated from hate crimes because the majority Hutus felt superior to the minority Tutsis. The hate between the Hutus and the Tutsis did result from ethnic disparities, political incitement and support to one tribe.

Due to high rates of unemployment in most countries, human trafficking has increased to provide for the cheap labor, sexual pleasures or trafficking of illegal drugs. This constitutes hate crimes because it involves exploitation of the less privileged members of the society. Newton defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people for the purpose of exploitation” (43).

The most vulnerable to human trafficking are young energetic men, beautiful women and children. Human trafficking of young and energetic men provides cheap labor while women undergo sexual and labor exploitations. Exploitation of children in terms of labor denies them opportunity to continue with their education in order for them to become responsible members in the society. In addition, human trafficking provides an avenue of abusing and smuggling of drugs that have significantly affected the lives of youths in the world.

Stricter Penalties

Now that the specific types of hate crimes have been examined thoroughly, what the government should do is definitely raise stricter rules to prevent these types of hate crimes from happening because perpetrators need to pay prices for what unlawfully they have done to society.

The judicial system should treat hate crimes cases differently because of their fatal consequences and their odious nature. According to scholars, among crimes of different natures the most destructive to the public safety and happiness should evoke severe punishment by the government.

Lieberman argues that, hate motivated crimes can result into deadly effects including riots (82). Cultural prejudices are widely accepted, shared, and endured in normal state of affairs in the communities in which they exist. People learn the cultural prejudices and stereotypes at tender age through the people close to them. If hate crimes are not condemned, they are likely to generate tensions, which can lead to community wide racial conflicts, civil unrest and deadly riots.

Even to date, the biggest question remains; what should be done to those individuals who acted on behalf of a group and led to the widespread killings just because the other individuals belonged to a different group? And which laws were they subjected ted to? It thus follows that, this was an extraordinary criminal act and therefore extraordinary process of punishment is vital.

In my own opinion, if those who fuelled the Rwandan genocide were heavily punished, crimes against humanity reported in other places like Darfur in Sudan could have been prevented.

Most of these crimes against humanity occur because most criminals fail to evaluate the value of damages they cause yet they gain so minimal in committing the hate crimes. According to McCain, the strong stand of the society should demonstrate that these types of behavior are intolerable; thus, the justification for increased penalties for the additional harm caused to the individual and the society at large.

Hate crimes are most likely to increase because the society condones and propagates favoritism against given groups. Thus, we need to treat the culprits of this social thorn like criminals and condemn their acts. However, they can be committed against members of larger communities even though it is the members of the most marginalized communities who suffer most. Hate crimes such as violence and murder are very detrimental to the economic and social status of a country.

They affect cities, counties and other economic productive areas thus putting the country at a serious risk of serious social and economical consequences. Levin and McDevitt assert that, “hate crimes might result to civil unrest, which in broad perspective can heighten the government expenditure by payment of overtime to medical personnel and police officers, loss of human capital through death or injuries, property loss and damage to property” (79).

In the long term, the economy suffers declines due to lack of contributive business environment which in turn leads to rise in economic hindrances like decline in tax income, increased insurance policy rates among other key economic factors. Moreover, residents and investors might abandon these environments and in addition, the quality of education declines due to the loss of extra revenue to fund education.

The city governments may have no choice but to cut the services they offer. Therefore, it is justifiable to enforce stricter penalties to the perpetrators of the hate crimes such as violence and murder because they affect the delivery of services by the government.

The law should warrant strict action against perpetrators of hate crimes with the intention of restoring the victim from the damages he/she suffers. This is because “unlike the ordinary law that penalizes the harm caused, hate crimes have a deeper impact on the victim than ordinary crimes and they affect others who are immediate members of a group” (Annual Reports: 2006, 2007).

My opinion is that, opportunistic preconception crimes justify additional punishment because such crimes hold the belief that some people are vulnerable to hate crime targets due to their affiliations which in most cases are groups that are disadvantaged.

In addition, penalties made by hate criminals should be made more substantial than that by ordinary crimes by the fact that they leave so much degradation in their wake (Wellman 65). Consequently, the law should use extraordinary means to punish the culprits and to restore the victims.

After hate crimes disintegrate into societal unrest, political leaders in their bid to secure public support might give speeches that incite people further. One might argue that the problem here is politicians not hate criminals; well, without the hate crimes, the politicians might lack a platform to promote their propaganda.

Moreover, such speeches pass for hate crimes in themselves. Therefore, if the concerned parties do not scrutinize the content of such speeches they tend to raise the political temperature in a society. This real problem happens at the expense of the economic development.

The political turmoil may further result into leadership wrangles within the political systems .The expansive result of this is that the citizens may fail to get services from the government because of the observed laxity in delivery of services resulting from political interference.

The heightened political tensions might also result to political rivalry with other nations and these will cost the country economically, because if the situation persists, willing foreign investors might not fill safe to invest or will not be ready to expand their investment that denies employment to the citizens.

In addition, tourist visiting the country would be concerned about their security. Such actions by the political leaders deny the country honor and dignity. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the law should ensure that such actions attract heavy penalties for the common good of all. The state should structure the laws such that, it tackles hate crimes at the very beginning before they reach a point of affecting the entire society.

Conclusion

To recap, hate crimes are vicious acts sprouting from preconceived motives. During the prosecution of criminal cases, the hate intention should be recognized and looked into from a different perspective given the harm they can cause in the society. Hate crimes are born when some people in society fears for their survival or feels more important than the others and to protect that which they assumes to rightfully belong to them, they resort to acrimonious acts to intimidate the victims of this social thorn.

Enforcing stiffer hate crime laws is one of the strategies that national governments should address to scrap hate crimes. State governments should facilitate this by preparing criminal justice force on diverse and effective ways on investigating offenses and how to efficaciously prosecute such cases coupled with working hand in hand with the victims for the realization of justice.

Moreover, policy makers should heighten precise data aggregation on hate-related crimes irrespective of whether it is a hate crime or not, establish anti-discriminatory body to support victims of hate discrimination, and educate communities on the relationship between law enforcement and community groups.

Subsequently, political instabilities, social degradation, economic slowdown and other adverse effects associated with hate crimes would be maintained if not scraped. In the light of what hate crimes can cause to the society, it is imperative to implement stricter penalties on hate crimes; genocide is not the real problem, it is only a product of unabated hate crimes in society.

Works Cited

Annual Reports 2006, 2007. “Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region: Incidents and Responses.” OSCE/ODIHR, 2007. Web.

Federal Bureau of Investigations. Hate crimes, 2007. Web.

Gist, Nancy. “Policymaker’s Guide to Hate Crimes.” Bureau of Justice Assistance (1999): 1-77.

Levin, Jack, and McDevitt, Jack. Hates Crimes. Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 1993.

Lieberman, Michael. “Punishment to Fit the crime.”Dissent 57.3 (2010): 81-84.

McCain, John. ‘Stricter sensing’ On The Issues, 2000. Web.

Newton, Phyllis. “Finding Victims of Human Trafficking.” National Opinion Research Centre Journal (2008):1-93.

Wellman, Heath. “The case for enhanced penalties of hate crimes.” A Defense of Stiffer Penalties for Hate Crimes 21.2 (2006):64-68.

A hate crime is a crime which is perpetuated against an individual based on his or her membership to a certain group of people in the society. Hate crimes may include things like assault, murder, harassment and injuries. The grounds under which hate crimes may be committed include race, ethnicity, gender, age, nationality, political association, religion and one’s social status.

Hate crime has got its history in the times of Nazism in which many Jews were exterminated in what has been explained by many international relations analysts as the worst genocide ever. After the World War II, hate crimes continued to persist, with the United States having the greatest number of cases of reported hate crimes mostly due to its diverse culture.

The typical individual who commits hate crimes is usually motivated by prejudice and bias against a certain group of people depending on their characteristics which I have mentioned above. The individual is usually guided by innate hatred towards the victims, based on what he or she has learned or how he has been socialized to perceive the victims.

Such an individual who commits hate crimes is usually different from the victims, especially in terms of colour, race, ethnicity and religion. The person is motivated by his or her prejudicial perception of the victims to commit the crimes against them. The perpetrator is also motivated by jealousy, ill intent, malice, jeopardy and the spirit of Nazism, which makes people have the feeling of wanting to eliminate those who are different from them.

In the United States where the rates of hate crimes are high, the targets of hate crimes are the Black Americans followed by Hispanic Americans. This is because of racism, which portrays the Black Americans and Hispanic Americans as the minority. The hate crimes take the forms of violence, murder, harassment as well as discrimination in employment and leadership. In the United States, hate crimes also take the form of domestic violence mostly involving Black American woman married to husbands of the white race (Myrdal 17).

One of the key causes of hate crimes is discrimination. Most of the crimes involve elements of hatred based on ones characteristics. Prejudice is also another key cause of these crimes and it makes the perpetrators view their targets as incomplete humans, who do not deserve any space in their territory. These causes are however not based on facts, but on mere hatred without any factual basis (Foucault 43).

One effect of hate crime is a feeling of lowered self-esteem among the victims, which interferes with their psychological stability thus exposing them to the risks of suffering from mental disorders like depression. Hate crime also makes the victims vulnerable to social and political risks like discrimination based on social class and political violence which target specific groups.

Hate crimes may be reduced by integrating the education systems, so that all students would get an opportunity to study together irrespective of their socio-cultural, economic, racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds. This would enable them to learn to stay with people who are different from them from childhood.

The rationale behind this argument is that the socialization process plays a very crucial role in shaping the children’s perception of others. If the children begin to study with others who are from different backgrounds from early age, then they will learn to appreciate them instead of hating them. The gap between the rich and the poor also needs to be addressed, so as to minimise discrimination based on social class.

Works Cited

Foucault. Discipline and punishment: The birth of the prison. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1979:43.Print.

Myrdal. An American dilemma: The Negro problem and modern democracy. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 1996:17.Print.

Criminological Theory Critique

The criminological theory that is the least plausible in regard to the homicide occurrence supposes that genetics, biology, and evolution dynamically impact the predisposition to criminal behavior. There are several reasons why this theory should not be perceived as reliable regardless of the existing evidence. First, a person’s criminological behavior does not develop in the mother’s womb. Criminological behavior is an acquired phenomenon and not a congenital characteristic (Douglas, Burgess, & Ressler, 2013). The research on the subject showed that there are numerous environmental and socioeconomic factors that may influence the possibility of criminal behavior manifestation. The parents’ genes do not form the outlooks of the child, but their approach to the child’s education does. Even if there is little chance that one of the child’s parents is a criminal, the kid may become a criminal in the future, not because of the genes but the parents’ example (Beirne & Messerschmidt, 2015). The presence of a mental illness or any other internal factors does not certify that the child will manifest delinquent behaviors and commit crimes. Instead, the child should be seen as an individual that is in need of professional medical help. The display of aggression toward the environment and other individuals does not equalize the dependency (even if it exists) between the criminal genes of the parents and their child’s behavior (Douglas et al., 2013). There are various reasons that do not allow to justify the parent’s genes as one of the triggers of criminal behavior. On a bigger scale, health problems and deviations from the norm should be regarded as the core premises for crimes committed in a state of affect (Beirne & Messerschmidt, 2015). There is no logical explanation supporting the idea that evolution and genes stand at the origins of criminal behavior.

Controlling and Decreasing Homicides in the United States

In order to control and decrease the occurrence of homicides across the United States, it is proposed to implement several short- and long-term initiatives. The first short-term objective is to target the killing rates among the younger population. This problem is pivotal due to the fact that the government has to address this issue if they want to deter violent and illegal behavior. Moreover, this would help the government to fight the assemblage of gangs and their consequent activity. The law enforcement agencies all across the country will have to cooperate if they want to eliminate the prevalent criminal behaviors. The second short-term objective is to chase and penalize the gun dealers that function illegally (Wagner, 2013). These sellers can usually be found in the streets. In other words, the government is in charge of removing illegal guns and limiting public access to firearms. This should not be seen as the US government’s opportunity to leave the citizens exposed to gun violence but limit them to the legal ways of acquiring gun licenses and purchasing weapons. The first long-term objective is to invest in the most effective crime deterrence programs and improve economic opportunities. This should positively impact the communities that live in poor neighborhoods and their predisposition to homicides and other types of crimes. Fighting unemployment should also be a part of this homicide deterrence program. The second long-term objective is to improve the relationships between the public and the law enforcement agency representatives (Siegel, 2015). The latter is usually seen as the core cause of violence, and one of the major responsibilities of the government is to provide the US communities with the real-life illustrations of exemplary police officers that guard the country and do not display abuse of authority.

The Key Factors That Trigger Homicides

According to the majority of the criminological theories, the key factor that influences delinquent behavior is the socioeconomic state of the individual. The persons that come from poor neighborhoods are more likely to commit crimes than the persons who grew up under typical circumstances (Palmer & Humphrey, 2013). This mostly regards to the theories of strain and social learning. The gap between the rich and the poor is one of the most widely recognized and approved premises of criminal behavior. The next series of factors related to the psychological state of an individual. A perfect example of a theory exploiting these ideas is the labeling theory. Based on this theory, the occurrence of homicides can be explained by the recidivist nature of a former inmate (Palmer & Humphrey, 2013). What is even more important, the possibility of a committed homicide increase due to the communal outlooks of the persons who surround the former criminal. In this case, the psychological oppression imposed on the wrongdoer serves as a catalyst and forms a perceptional pattern in the criminal’s brain that he or she is refused by the society and limited only to the activities that took him to jail. The third set of factors relates to the realistic view of the world and existing inequalities (Palmer & Humphrey, 2013). This analytic perception perfectly fits the description of the rational choice theory and its core postulates. Therefore, the homicides committed in line with the rational choice theory are justified by the willingness to correct injustice and achieve the ultimate goal which can be described as comprehensive contentment.

References

Beirne, P., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2015). Criminology: A sociological approach. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Douglas, J. E., Burgess, A., & Ressler, R. K. (2013). Crime classification manual: A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Palmer, S. H., & Humphrey, J. A. (2013). Deviant behavior: Patterns, sources, and control. New York, NY: Plenum.

Siegel, L. J. (2015). Criminology: The core (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Wagner, W. E. (2013). Practice of research in criminology and criminal justice. New York, NY: Sage.

Violent sex: Acquaintance gang rape in Campus

There have been concerns about the issue of gang rape in colleges and campuses. Even though these learning institutions are supposed to be places of high integrity, gang rapes are a common occurrence that baffles the college administrations. Most reported cases have occurred in schools that have fraternities. Some of these incidents occur in residential halls. The attacks mostly include more than one person on a victim who either knows one of the assailants or non at all.

All the cases that have always been reported involve a single female against two or more males. In other words, it is the females who quite often become the victim of gang rape. More female college students are at risk of gang rapes than any other female population. Studies have revealed the severity and scope of this problem, even though there has not been any clear explanation as to why a group of men would opt to rape a female, especially in the institutions of higher learning.

However, the majority of gang rape incidents go unreported, and this may subject the authorities to believe that it is not a serious problem at all. This has encouraged the practice to go on since the students who find it an enjoyable practice come to feel that it is tolerable too. The college and campus authorities ought to be enlightened on the problem of fraternity and acquaintance gang rape in their colleges. The typical situation runs in the form of students holding a fraternity party; a young woman gets drunk, forgets herself then a group of men takes advantage of her.

Quite often than not, the woman is persuaded by one or two men who have seen the possibility of going away with her. The victim is always unaware of the man’s or men’s plot, and since she is intoxicated, she is not in a position to make a clear judgment. She goes with the man or men, and by the time she realizes their intention, she is either too scared to resist or too confused to escape.

The brothers, who may be as many as eleven, do their thing than live. She may protest before the actual rape takes place, but her protests are ignored. The victim, in most cases, cannot remember her assailants afterward, and this may make her not report the incident. However, the issue may not escape the ears of the campus or college administrations. They are more likely to hear it through the campus grapevine than through direct reports. The effects on the victim in most cases are too much to bear, and this may lead to her leaving school.

The men involved, however, may not consider their actions as constituting gang rape. (Ehrhart, Julie K. and Sandler, Bernice Resnick) For them, this may just pass as sex with a willing drunk lady. The fact that the woman is intoxicated, according to the men involved, is a clear indication that the woman needed group sex. Her protests are ignored because it is a common position among men that women say no to mean yes. To them, gang rape is a spicy part of the party; hence is not viewed as a crime at all. This phenomenon of gang rape is not new in learning institutions. In the past, the women involved were viewed with some form of contempt, even called names like nymphomaniacs. The argument among the student population is that she was at a place where she ought not to be.

Due to this attitude of blaming the victim, some institutions have ignored the problem and instead have used it as a warning against other female students who are most likely to indulge. In the normal social setting, such behaviors are a serious criminal offense and can land someone up to life imprisonment. In academic institutions, it is, however, viewed as a private relationship.

Even when reported, the institutions do not know how to handle them. Because sometimes there may be too much concern about the institution’s image, the authorities choose to ignore the situation. The campuses and colleges also lack formal procedures and policies on how they can deal with acquaintance gang rape. Even when the people involved are identified, the authorities can either suspend them or be asked to go for counseling. The entire fraternity may also be banned from holding parties for a given period of time. In other words, they are either subjected to not a very severe punishment to no punishment at all. This impacts negatively on the victim because she may feel like the institution accepts such practices as part of the system. (Decker, Wright, Redfern, Smith131)

Acquaintance gang rape is more traumatizing than any other sexual assault. The victims’s esteem, sense of purity, and her entire well being are lowered to the point of extinction. In the situation where she knows the people involved, she may express shame and disbelief or upset to the point that she may deny such a thing happening. In most cases, a victim of acquaintance gang rape often finds that no one understands what happened to her or how she feels about it. She is unlikely to be sympathized with because many people may hold the view that she is solely responsible for her situation.

Could insecurity and competition among men be the main reason why they engage in gang rape? Research has shown that men who join fraternities do not possess concrete personal identity and, in most circumstances, feel they are not in control of their lives. They hold the view that it’s either fate or chance which determines the course of their lives. This belief makes them not to feel responsible for their behavior. They are, in most cases, interested in dominating others, and in order to gain recognition, they opt for certain modes of practices that many students may not have the guts to indulge in.

Most of the gang rapes are preplanned. Some college reports indicate that a few fraternities have deliberately planned gang rapes as part of the day’s activity. Men in certain group situations behave in ways that may conflict with their individual principles. A man’s attitude in a gang rape situation may be influenced by the desire to prove a point to his peers rather than the hatred he has for the victim. According to Claire Walsh, men do not rape as a way to do a favor for oneself but they do it for other men. If a man in the gang does not participate, his sexual competency may be put into question. (Walsh2008) Some people have even thought of gang rape as a demonstration of man’s power over women. In other words, it is a way of showing male dominance. It is viewed not as a means of achieving anything but as an end in itself.

Females and Residential Burglary

Even though it is men who are known to be engaged in residential burglary, some cases of female involvement have been spotted. However, the circumstance that drive men and those that drive women are different. Most women who have engaged in residential burglary do not have any personal motivation towards the crime. Some have been introduced to the crime by their boyfriends, while others engage in it in order to support their kids. There are cases where the female offenders have been unwillingly forced to participate even though they had no motive of committing the crime. Due to the fear of being punished or even losing their boyfriends, these women have always participated in these crimes against their will.

There are very rare cases of women deliberately hoping to engage in residential burglary. Women are always very sensitive on how the society and, in particular their family perceives them. This may subject an offender to desist from this crime for fear of being caught and the subsequent picture that her family members will form towards her.

Some of the residential burglary cases which were investigated by Mullins and Wright illustrate a clear aspect of gender. The ability and means of selecting targets are structured by gender. (Mullins and Wright) Their study illustrates that finding a possible target for males entirely depend upon the use of female associates. According to this finding, females are able to scout homes for their male counterparts through sex or the appearance of sexual availability.

However, for female offenders, they so much capitalize on their femininity and sexuality to exploit opportunities that are available. In other words, female offenders may lure an unsuspecting individual sexually into allowing her to access his home so she may raid it when the opportunity presents itself. The actual crimes of residential burglary are often committed by men, but in the circumstances that involve females, there is always some form of division of labor. (Omari2007)The main reasons that female offenders have stated for entering burglarized homes include their expertise in finding valuable things like jewels or their ability to slip through tiny openings. Otherwise, they are not entirely involved with the entire operation. It follows then that this form of crime is a specialty for men.

It is not only crime which is gendered. The aspect of gender extends further in the institutions and structure of the society and anybody can testify to this. However, it is the females who are always disadvantaged because, more often than not, they fall victims to cruel treatments by their male counterparts.

Reference

Decker, Scott; Wright, Richard; Redfern, Allison; Smith, Dietrich. A Woman’s Place is in the Home: Females and Residential Burglary. 2008 pp.121-142

Ehrhart, Julie K. and Sandler, Bernice Resnick. Campus Gang Rape: Party Games? Web.

Fredrickson, Alexandra. (2007) Gender, Social Networks, and Residential Burglary. Web.

Mullins, Christopher and Wright Richard (2008) Criminology. Web.

Omari, Joel (2007) Women and Crime: Institutional Analysis. Nairobi Press. Nairobi.

Walsh, Claire. (2008) Building Knowledge for a Changing Climate.

Introduction

When it comes to violent crimes and different types of homicides, every state in the United States of America has its classification. Nonetheless, there are several general categories which are typical for every state. These categories include murder, manslaughter, and defensible homicide (Siegel, 2015). Irrespective of the conditions under which the crime was committed and the ultimate charges, homicide can be characterized as a delinquent act that comprises the taking of human life. If an individual is involved in the legal process concerning a homicide, a professional homicide attorney should be invited so as to help the individual and provide them with all the necessary information.

Analysis

There are two key subtypes of murder – first-degree murder and second-degree murder. First-degree murder is the severest charge out of all murder types and subtypes. The individual is usually charged with first-degree murder when the delinquency involves an intentional and planned murder. One of the most infamous first-degree murder cases was the case of OJ Simpson. He was believed to plan the murder of his wife, then invade her mansion in Brentwood, and stab her multiple times (Douglas, Burgess, & Ressler, 2013). OJ Simpson turned himself in after a short, low-speed chase. He was found to be legally responsible for his activities. As a matter of fact, first-degree murders deserve the severest punishments. The majority of the individuals who commit first-degree murder are penalized with a death sentence or life sentence.

Second-degree murder relates to the cases where there is not enough evidence to prove that the criminal had planned to kill the victim. Nevertheless, the court takes into consideration the fact that the murderer still wanted the victim to die from the received wounds. The case of Phil Spector is one of the most famous second-degree murder cases. In this case, the famous producer did not intend to kill his female guest. She was shot in the mouth, and lawyers claimed that it was because of her suicidal tendencies and not Spector’s actions (Douglas et al., 2013). Regardless, Spector was ultimately sent to prison to serve a life sentence. Second-degree murders are commonly referred to as crimes of passion. They are called this way because the murders occur during heated arguments and cannot be fully intentional. In some states, there is no possibility to be released on parole, and the only option is a life sentence (but everything depends on the circumstances and the laws functioning within the state) (Douglas et al., 2013).

In the case of manslaughter, the individual who is accused of murder did not intend to kill the victim or plan the crime beforehand. This type of charge commonly transpires during the cases which involve an accidental death under inadvertent circumstances (Palmer & Humphrey, 2013). The final verdict regarding the person who committed manslaughter heavily depends on the state laws and all the additional conditions.

A justifiable (or defensible) homicide is a case in which the murder was committed as a means of self-defense or under analogous circumstances. In a broader sense, it is not a type of legal custody. On the contrary, it can be described as a possibility to register and classify the charges when a person died, but no lawbreaking was committed (Wagner, 2013). The final verdict is reached within the jurisdiction of the given state and may include no criminal charges at all.

References

Douglas, J. E., Burgess, A., & Ressler, R. K. (2013). Crime classification manual: A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Palmer, S. H., & Humphrey, J. A. (2013). Deviant behavior: Patterns, sources, and control. New York, NY: Plenum.

Siegel, L. J. (2015). Criminology: The core (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Wagner, W. E. (2013). Practice of research in criminology and criminal justice. New York, NY: Sage.

Abstract

Rape is probably one of the most misunderstood crimes today and equally practiced worldwide regardless of race, nationality, religion or ethnicity. This paper therefore seeks to create awareness to people about the ever-increasing knowledge on the crime of rape and the effects on victims. It also focuses on the motivations for rape since not all rapes are the same. Rarely do women rape men even though it happens in some cases. Men may rape fellow men, but most cases reported involve women. This may be done for sexual gratification, anger, sadism or expression of dominion. (Dean and de Bruyn- Kops, 1982). Several theories have been postulated regarding rape. Ellis (1989) in his book on theories on rape identifies three that is Feminist theory, Evolutionary theory and the social learning approach. Rape is a form of crime that is on the rise and more measures should be formulated to curb the vice. We also need to find out the reasons behind rape, how to overcome them and rehabilitate the offenders.

Introduction

Since time immemorial, the issue regarding rape has been one of the focuses of many nations. Effective actions to combat the crime have not been successful and therefore call for better understanding of the reasons for committing the crime. It actually happens when one is forced or coerced into an unwanted or forced sexual intercourse. It happens to men, women, and children too. Rape may occur in the vagina, anus, or mouth. Some rapists use drugs or alcohol to blind the judgment of their victims in order to carry out the act without any bother. (Allison and Wrightsman. 1993) Rape is a felony as it causes physical and psychological trauma to the victim. There is a lot of misleading information regarding the frequency of rape, characteristics of rapists, and the recovery of survivors.

There is a need to carry out further research on this threat if it is to be fully understood and eventually eradicated. Recent post poll violence in Kenya (East Africa) left numerous rape cases in its wake. The Waki Commission¹ Report on post election violence in Kenya has unearthed the involvement of the Kenyan Police in sexual crimes against women. According to the report, there was a massive conspiracy by the police to cover up sex crimes they committed during the post 2007 general elections. The police turned against the women fleeing and raped them instead of offering them security. (gendergovernancekenya.org). This shows that this problem runs deep and requires a holistic approach that will ensure that rape cases are not processed through a crooked system that will not achieve justice

Methodology

A study involving 100 men was carried out in an office setting to determine whether pornography leads to treatment of women as sexual objects. The null hypothesis states that there is no difference in behavior displayed by men towards women after watching a pornographic movie. The study involved men who were masculine sex type, measured by Bem Sex Role Inventory, and men who were androgynous according to the description of themselves selected randomly. In the study, the men were subjected to a 30 minutes movie, either on a couple engaged in a non-violent sexual intercourse or a documentary on the benefits of regular exercises. Afterwards, they filled in a questionnaire then each was interviewed separately by a female interviewer.

Results

The masculine men who watched the pornographic movie were observed to ogle at the female interviewer compared to the androgynous ones. They also seem to flirt more with the interviewer. The null hypothesis was therefore rejected on the basis that there were differences in observations.

Discussion

Men are ”visual creatures” and tend to get attracted by what they see. According to the research, most men get excited by pornographic materials and are highly likely to put into action what they watch. Errors may have originated from the lack of honesty by the subjects when filling in the questionnaire.

Conclusion

Rape is a problem that has affected humanity since historical times. The cases of rape are on the rise and if not put in check, people will continue to live in fear. Stiffer penalties should be imposed on the offenders to discourage others. Pornographic materials should also be banned.

References

1. Allison J.A, Wrightsman L.S (1993). Rape: The Misunderstood Crime. Social science Date Rape Drugs.
2. Gavey N. (2005). The Cultural Scaffolding of Rape, Rutledge Taylor and Francis Group Rape and Sexual Assault. Web.
3. Waki: Rape Horrors by Police.

Footnotes

1 A commission set up after recommendation of the Koffi Annan led National Dialogue and Mediation forum to investigate the causes and magnitude of the violence