Crime Causation Theories in Relation to Bloods and Crips Movie
Introduction
Bloods and crips is a movie that highlights criminal gangs in America. The movie was directed by filmmaker Stacy Peralta and produced by Baron Davis ans Stephen Luczo. The crips and bloods are infamous, african-american gangs in southern Los Angeles. The documentary narrative chronicles decades of modern gangs’ despair and destruction. The film details the rise of the gangs and their four decade feud. The film includes ex-gang members’ testimonies about the gangs’ culture, behavior, rules and hierachy.The film also articulates views of writers, activists, academicians and gang intervention experts.
Crime causation as portrayed in Bloods and crips: Made in America
The film implicates various reasons for the existence of the criminal gangs. These include erosion of identity which spurs the self-hatred legacy among the blacks. Other reasons include the lack of proper parenting exemplified by the disappearance of black American fathers and a pervasive prison culture-where at least one out of four black american is bound to spend some time in prison at some point in his life. The film shows how young black americans get influenced by the wave of crimes in their neighbourhoods. Their engagement in crimes happens because of the exposure they get at an early stage in life. This exposure coupled with social pressure from peers makes it difficult for anyone that lives in those neighbourhoods to resist joining the gangs. The sociological influence in Southern Los Angeles can be blamed as the main cause of criminal gangs. The existent of a hostile, crime and drug ridden environment makes it difficult for any youth to live a crime free life. A part from the social environmental influence there a feeling of insecurity for youths that are not affiliated to any gang. Thus, many youth seek affiliation to gangs for the purpose of feeling secure. This is because once a person joins a gang he is assured of protection from the gang members that will be there in times of danger. The existence of this gangs and the security threat they pose forms the basis of upcoming gangs. Other non-affiliated members may feel unsecure and in turn decide to organise themselves into gangs meant to counter the already existent gangs. This is exemplified by the formation of the bloods gang. Initially, the bloods gang was formed for the sole purpose of protecting its members from the crips gang. Thus, the existence of one gang could lead to the formation of another gang that is meant to counter the older gang (Siegel , 2009).
In this case the existence of these gangs is not based on any material gain, but rather; as a norm in a society where gang affiliation becomes a necessity. This substantiates the sociological theory on crime causation because the joining gang members are influenced by the environment in which they live and the relations that they hold with others in society. The influence of the environment on an individuals character is clear in the movie.Most interviewed gang members confessed that the sorruonding circumstances and environment made it a necessity to join a gang.The labelling theory perhaps explains better why youg black Americans fall into crime and criminal gangs. According to this theory official means of crime control may turn out be propagators of crime in society. Individuals that are arrested, punished or prosecuted are labelled as criminals. Automatically others view and treat the labelled individuals as criminals. This gives these people an image that may cause their further indulgence in crime for various reasons. According to Siegel (2009) the labelled people find it difficult to obtain any form of formal employment. In this case the labelled black gang members from the L.A neighborhoods are stereotyped as violent and criminal in nature.These youth learn to identify themselves as black and tough: a character they feel that they can only show if they joined a gang. Therefore, labelling of blacks as tough gang criminals makes them organize their personalities around these labels made about them. The increased strain in trying to obtain employment renders them gullible for gang initiation.
The strain could also lead them into drug abuse and trafficking for the sake of raising money for their daily needs. The strain makes them loose their stake in conformity. The labelling drives the labelled gang members into loneliness because conventional society members avoid to associate with them. As a result, they find it easier to associate with people of a similar criminal nature(Siegel , 2009). Thus, their association fosters a crime learning and planning ground that perpetuates crime in the society that they live. Eventually, the labelled individuals view themselves as criminal elements and as a result act according to their view. The labelling theory further affects the labelled people when the society does not design a means of rehabilitating the labelled individuals into conventional society. The movie clearly brought out the issue on labelling as a cause of criminal predisposition among black Americans who are ever viewed as gangsters (Knudten, 1970).The psychological theory of crime causation may also account for the reasons why most youth growing up in these areas join the criminal gangs. The youth growing up in these neighborhoods lack proper parenting that results in personality imbalances.
This is because most children are brought up by single mothers. The lack of fatherly love, care and guidance makes most young youths to develop personality imbalances. The broken families that are a result of imprisoned parents and those that die in gang battles predispose the child to crime at subtle levels. Criminal parents that are part of gangs leave an imprint of crime in the minds of their children. This may later act as an intergenerational transfer of crime that happens sub-conciusly. This happens over time as the criminal behavior develops. This is because offending is a type of behavior that is similar to any other anti-social behavior, and thus; develops over time. The important influencing element in this case is the family that nurtures the early development of a child (‘Crime causation’, 2010).The movies’ focus on crime causation did not emphasize the important role that the family has in influencing anti-social behaviors. The fact that most of the youths in these gangs are reared in families or near families with criminal elements affiliated to gangs predisposes them to gang violence. Thus, forming a culture of gang crime and affiliation in families. The movie also failed to clearly highlight intergenerational transfer of these gang crime behaviors from parents and elder children to the young youth.
Conclusion
Crime causation can interpreted through many theories, however; it is obvoius that there is no theory that can stand on its own without being deficient. This is because crime is caused by an interplay of factors that combine to bring about crime and criminal behavior within an individual.
References
‘Crime causation’, (2010). Crime Causation. Retrieved from, http://law.jrank.org/pages/824/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories.html, viewed on 7th June 2010.
Knudten, D. R. (1970).Crime in a complex society: an introduction to criminology. Chicago,IL: Dorsey Press.
Siegel, J. L. (2009). Criminology: Theories of crime causation. Cengage Publishers.
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