Gun Control Policy, Crime Reduction, and Factors Influencing Crime

This essay explores the role of gun control policies in reducing gun crimes in the U.S., examining factors that lead individuals to commit crimes and reasons for opposing stricter gun control measures. It discusses the purpose of gun control laws in limiting firearm availability among high-risk individuals and explores various criminological theories, including rational choice, social disorganization, social control, and biological factors, to understand the motivations behind criminal behavior. The essay also addresses arguments against increased gun control, citing the Second Amendment, the potential for self-defense, and concerns about personal security. Finally, it recommends strategies to reduce gun violence, such as stricter ownership requirements, gun-violence restraining orders, and investment in smart gun technology. The document is available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools and resources for students.

RUNNING HEAD: CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Criminal Justice

CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The U.S. has greater level of lethal and non-fatal sexual activity than couple of the world’s
industrialised countries. Many of the crimes are performed by gun-armed perpetrators. This
essay will be dealing with role of the gun control policy in reducing the gun crimes as well as
factors, which lead an individual to commit crime. It will also provide that why an individual
does not support the increases upon such controls and recommendations to reduce gun crime.
The purpose of gun control laws is to decrease the rate of crime and violence by limiting the
availability of firearms among people thought to be at greater danger of violent acts (Webster
and Vernick, Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy with Evidence and
Analysis). While some regulations might hypothetically, do this by decreasing weapon levels
in the general population, neither the federal government nor any state has ever prohibited
gun ownership or even any large-scale gun set, such as firearms. Furthermore, previous study
shows that current regulations have a no measurable impact on the general population-wide
weapon possession rates. Instead, the purpose of gun laws is to prevent the purchase,
ownership and criminal use of firearms by members of high-risk population groups such as
convicted criminals, mentally sick people, alcoholics or substance addicts. In addition, some
gun laws are intended to decrease violence in respects that do not allow any subset of the
population to decrease gun ownership. Some checks, for instance, strive to decrease
unlicensed carriage of hidden weapon through government areas, decreasing weapon
ownership in circumstances that are probable to erupt in violence.
In criminology, examining why individuals commit crime is very essential in the continuing
discussion of how to handle and prevent crime. In criminology, various theories have been
emerged in order to know what factors influence an individual to commit crime. These are:
balanced choice theory, as per this theory, people after analysing the potential risk of being
caught make decision accordingly to commit crime. The other theory is social disorganization
theory, in this, the behavioural choices that an individual make are based on the person’s
physical and social environments. For instance, high crime rates are found in neighbourhood,
which has fraying social structures. The other theory is social control theory, in this if not for
the checks that society places on individual through organizations such as collages,
workplaces, churches and relatives most people would commit crime. The last factor is
biology and genetics, as per this improper diet, intellectual illness, poor brain chemistry and
even developmental benefits for violent criminal behaviour were suggested as crime
explanation (Gold and Simon).
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Increases upon such control cannot be supported because firstly, as per the second
amendment in the US constitution safeguards individual gun ownership that gives them right
to have arms other than militia purposes. As in the case of McDonald v City of Chicago 561
U.S. 742 (2010), it was held that second amendment is an individual right of having arms.
Secondly, gun ownership deters crime and not the gun control legislations. A research in
Applied Economics Letters discovered that attack arms prohibitions did not substantially
affect state-level homicide levels and that countries with the limitations on the carriage of
hidden guns had greater killings associated with guns (Webster and Vernick). Thirdly, gun
control laws violate the right to self-defence and deny a feeling of security to individuals.
Guns are used for self-defence, 2.5 million occasions a year, according to the national Rifle
association (NRA) (Kleck). Everyone cannot be protected at all times by the police. 61% of
males and 56% of females interviewed by Pew Research said that more stringent weapon
regulations would make it harder for individuals to safeguard their homes and relatives
(Gabor).
Thus, after analysing the above, few steps are recommended, that can be adopted to reduce
the US’ gun violence problem. Firstly, lessons can be learned from auto safety by lawmakers.
To begin with, they can implement more stringent firearms ownership requirements. A more
operative policy can be made which require that every purchaser of any age to possess a
licence which includes a fair training programme and registration of all purchases (Kerr ).
Secondly, proper implementation of gun-violence restraining orders. These orders allow
members of the family or law enforcement to appeal in a court to temporarily prohibit a
person at risk from purchasing firearms. Police may also be allowed to confiscate their
weapons. Thirdly, the government should invest in sound gun technology. Entrepreneurs
have implemented products using biometrics to define the legitimate proprietor of a weapon
while securing it for everyone else. Such intelligent weapons may not stop legally prevent
mass shootings with firearms, but with gun possessed by someone else, they can deter
offences or suicides as well as it can also reduce accidental shootings.
Thus, some of the above were few recommendations, which can prevent or reduce the gun
violence in U.S.
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Bibliography
Gabor, Thomas. Confronting Gun Violence in America. New York: Springer, 2016.
Gold, Liza H and Robert I Simon. Gun Violence and Mental Illness. Washington, D.C.:
American Psychiatric Publishing, 2015.
Kerr , Selina E. M. Gun Violence Prevention?: The Politics Behind Policy Responses to
School Shootings in the United States. New York: Springer, 2018.
Kleck, Gary. Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America. Abingdon-on-thames: Routledge,
2017.
Webster, Daniel W and Jon S Vernick. Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy
with Evidence and Analysis. Baltimore: JHU Press, 2013.
—. Updated Evidence and Policy Developments on Reducing Gun Violence in America.
Baltimore: JHU Press, 2014.
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