Discussion: Application of Theory—Growth Patterns and Trends of Criminal Organizations

Week 3: Growth of Criminal Organizations

Now that you have examined the scope and activity of gangs and organized crime groups, you can step back and ask the “why” questions. Why do criminal organizations not only exist but thrive in the United States today? Why do individuals join these organizations in the first place?

Theories are helpful in beginning to answer these questions. Macro-level sociological theories point to factors of environment, geography, race, ethnicity, and social class to explain how criminal organizations succeed in certain locations. Micro-level psychological theories take a more focused approach, addressing human development and individual factors that make a person at greater risk of joining a gang or criminal organization.

This week, you engage with both micro- and macro-level perspectives, comparing the theories and determining how well they account for criminal organizations in your community.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Analyze motivations for joining criminal organizations

Compare theories of criminal organizations

Evaluate the degree to which theories of criminal organizations account for their growth patterns and trends

BELOW IS THE DISCUSSION QUESTION I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED WHAT NEEDS ATTENTION. PLEASE READ ALL DIRECTIONS FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOMOF THIS PAPER TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PUT IT TOGETHER. THIS NEED TO BE A 150 TO 200 WORD COUNT WITH REFERENCE. IF YOU SHOULD NEED ANY CLARIFICATION PLEASE REACH OUT AND I WILL TRY TO HELP THANKS…

Discussion: Application of Theory—Growth Patterns and Trends of Criminal Organizations

Criminal organizations are expected to grow well into the foreseeable future, particularly if harsh community, social, and economic conditions persist. For example, a lack of viable employment can often be the catalyst to join a criminal organization that offers more attractive, long-term options to make money through illegal activities. Technology is another contributing factor to the growth of criminal organizations. Criminal organizations may use social networking sites to recruit new members and the Internet for identity theft, fraud, and dark web transactions. Furthermore, criminal organizations are making more money than ever in illegal drug trade by trafficking synthetic and prescription drugs that can be produced cheaply anywhere in the world and sold throughout the United States.

In the Assignment this week, you examined theories of criminal organizations. Now you discuss the degree to which a specific theory accounts for growth patterns and trends of the criminal organization(s) in your city, state, or region.

Post a response that addresses the following:

Briefly describe the theory to which you were assigned.

To what degree does the theory sufficiently account for growth patterns and trends of criminal organizations in your city, state, or region?