ALCOHOL & CRIME.   Term Paper ID:19520 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Argues that alcohol abuse often leads to crime, other drugs, violence.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Argues that alcohol abuse often leads to crime, other drugs, violence. Paper Introduction: This study will examine the links between alcohol and criminal activity. The study will argue that there is, indeed, powerful evidence that there is a connection between alcohol abuse and crime. The study is significant because it gives society a clear picture of how to fight crime by fighting the abuse of alcohol. If crime is viewed as a mysterious phenomenon with no simple cause other than massive socioeconomic problems, then the notion of fighting crime will be seen as a virtually hopeless and unrealistic one. However, if it is clearly demonstrated that much criminal behavior is directly or indirectly linked with the abusive consumption of alcohol, then crime can be diminished by lessening the abuse of alcohol. Here are some of the statistics --- from the Consumers Union Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Boston: Beacon. Alcohol will not turn an individual into a monster and will notimmediately and completely transform a person's character or personality.In many cases, all that happens when a person drinks alcohol is that he orshe experiences "feelings of happiness and lightness . Conjugal Crime. 91). It may be,conversely, a coverup for intended actions which are bound to take place assoon as some blame can be invented. . Hidden Victims. . . ."(Harrity and Christensen, 1987, pp. Clearly, there needs tobe much more research done in these areas if we are to understand, overallas well as in detail, the various connections between alcohol abuse andcriminal behavior, especially criminal behavior which includes violence. Not all individuals who drink or even who abusealcohol end up engaged in criminal behavior, but any individual who hasever used an illegal drug because of being drunk, or any under-ageindividual who has drunk alcohol, or anybody who has ever driven a motorVehicle under the influence of alcohol, or anybody who has ever engaged invandalism or violence because of the ingestion of alcohol---all of theseindividuals have demonstrated the connection between alcohol and criminalbehavior. (1983). The study issignificant because it gives society a clear picture of how to fight crimeby fighting the abuse of alcohol. Jacobson, Michael; Atkins, Robert; and Hacker, George. It isthe (illegal] drug of choice for most grade school and high schoolstudents" (Jacobson et al., 1983, pp. . Faller writes that the dataof several studies indicate "that drug and alcohol problems are experiencedby large percentages (52.7%) of perpetrators of sexual abuse. However, if it is clearly demonstrated that much criminalbehavior is directly or indirectly linked with the abusive consumption ofalcohol, then crime can be diminished by lessening the abuse of alcohol. It is involved in at least half of allhomicides; some experts believe it a 'necessary and precipitating elementfor violence-' It is a major factor in 'battered child syndrome' andbattered wives....... A GallupPoll showed that two-thirds of all Americans are drinkers, and almost one-third admit to having driven after drinking alcohol" (Knox, 1988, pp. New York: Anchor. In other words, if we recognize an environmental, if notphysiological, link between abused children and abuse those individualsinflict on others when grown-up, and if we recognize the evidence linkingalcoholism and genetics, then we can see that there may be some connectionbetween crime and alcohol on a number of bases --- socioeconomic,environmental (family influences), and genetics. We can hardly blamealcohol exclusively for such action, then, but must place theresponsibility for the criminal behavior on the individual who drankknowing the effect it would have upon him. The Good News About Drugs and Alcohol. . Drinking may be the triggerthat unleashes the pent-up violence normally held in check. White Hall, Virginia: Betterway. (1987). Faller supports the findings of Geiser with respect to criminalsexual abuse and its relationship to alcohol. (1978). before the age of11" (Gold, 1991, p. There are also problems associated with the consumption of alcohol inconjunction with other drugs, in which case it becomes more difficult todetermine the precise nature of the impact of alcohol on criminal behavior. The study will argue that there is, indeed, powerful evidencethat there is a connection between alcohol abuse and crime. New York:Columbia University Press. 24 ). This is true in the case of criminal activity involving sexual abuse,as Geiser writes: "According to the Center for Rape Concern inPhiladelphia, in half of their cases of child molestation, the offendershad themselves been sexually abused as children. Athird of them began their involvement with alcohol . Kids, Drugs andAlcohol. While the use of alcohol may not be illegal if one is above the legalage limit, the fact is that alcohol abusers often mix other drugs withtheir drinking, increasing the likelihood that they will engage in behaviorwhich they would not have otherwise engaged in. As children, over half the husbands had witnessed theirfathers assaulting their mothers. New York: Rosen.----------------------- 11 An inhibited person may dance in a crowd more readilyafter a few drinks . New York:Chelsea. (1988). Knox, Jean McBee. Fewer than a quarter of them had whatcould be called good relationships with their parents. Drinking, Driving & Drugs. Washington, D.C.: CSPI Books. Norris writes: "Most multiple killers whom we have studied, serialkillers as well as mass murderers, are consistently addicted or dependentupon drugs or alcohol or both." One such serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas"reported that he was drunk every time he killed someone. may make a (man) more likely to choose to use violence, but thechoice is still his" (Rue, 1989, pp. On the other hand,it is true that the physical and psychological effects of alcohol lead tothe diminishment of inhibitions which in sober states prevent the actingout of criminal behavior. All of them used fists, many adding kicks with heavyshoes....... The first involvement of most drinkers with criminal behavior is theact of drinking under the legal age limit. However, it is also clear that being under the influence of alcoholdoes disinhibit the emotions, and it is also clear that a drunken andemotional person is less likely to be able to control himself once he takesthe first step of action --- whether committing violence, or driving whiledrunk, or getting into situations with individuals which are dangerous andcan lead to criminal behavior. In one way, alcoholintoxication can be seen as a return to the infant state in which the 'I'becomes important, feeling that all needs will be met without question"(Fort, 1973, pp. viiiix). Under theinfluence of alcohol, there is often an impulsiveness to do things notordinarily done. .. If the individual already has adamaged social control mechanism, the narcotic effects of alcohol or drugs,especially during periods of episodic delusions . Coping with Dating Violence. 36-37). can unleash a Hyde-like character capable of extraordinary violence" (Norris, 1988, p. In a study of wifebeaters, Davidson writes that it was found "thatall one hundred men had in common a 'loss of control' once the violence gotunder way. The leading cause of death among 14-15 year olds is drunk driving"(Harrity and Christensen, 1987, pp. Again, it is important to notethat alcohol does not instantly turn a good person into a bad person, a law-abiding citizen into a violent and dangerous criminal. The need for further research is made clear in Davidson's examinationof this relationship between conjugal violence and alcohol: "The place ofalcohol in the dynamics of the wifebeater is a curious one. The offenders weregenerally men with poor impulse control, and in half of the CRC cases, thiswas also compounded by an alcohol problem" (Geiser, 1988, p. The second involvement is mostlikely to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is the number-one killer on the road;despite the frightening statistics, a widespread belief exists among allage groups in this country that the risk of DWI is worth taking. 33). Again, this does not mean that a saint who drinks will turn into ahomicidal maniac. We cannot entirely blame alcohol for this fact,however, because the individual was obviously aware of the impact alcoholhad upon him. However, in the context of this study, Rue makes the argument for us--- there is a clear connection between alcohol and crime, because thephysical and psychological effects of alcohol make an individual morelikely to choose violence or crime --- more likely than he would be if hewere entirely sober. Child Sexual Abuse. John Gacyreported that he would start drinking before he went out cruising for a newencounter in the gay hustler bars and bus stations. Serial Killers. If he felt the inclination to commit illegal acts of sexualabuse on children, but felt too inhibited to do so while sober, he willdrink in order to remove his weakened inhibitions. being drunk. His reflexes are slowed because of the alcohol, however, andsuddenly he has hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk, and just as suddenly hehas become a criminal because of alcohol. . is not anisolated teenage problem. Harrity, A.S., and Christensen, A.B. Is it thetrigger of violence? In 1985, it is estimated that almost44, people died and another 4 or 5 million were injured in motor vehicleaccidents --- about half of those fatal accidents were alcohol related . . Bob Long . References Davidson, Terry. Here are some of the statistics --- from the Consumers Union Report,Licit and Illicit Drugs, as we read in Jacobson et al.--which indicate therelationship between alcohol and criminal behavior: "(Alcohol) creates thebiggest law enforcement problems (that is, of all drugs] --- involving some55 percent of all arrests. She is coming from the point of view of one who believesin individual responsibility for one's actions, and she sees the use ofalcohol as an excuse for criminal behavior which evades such personalresponsibility. may occur, with physiological discomfort. . Fort, Joe. Faller notes that there are differences of opinion among researcherswith respect to the degree that alcohol affects child abuse, but, ingeneral, "professionals believe that the use of alcohol and drugs does playsome role in a considerable number of sexual abuse cases" (Faller, 1988, p.1 3). 19-2 ). . Geiser, Robert L. As we read in Knox, "Driving while intoxicated..... (1991). 24-25). .routinely consumed large amounts of alcohol in the strip bars where he wassearching for new victims....... There is a widespread assumption thatalcohol is the exclusive cause of marital violence I have found that muchconjugal crime occurs unprompted by alcohol" (Davidson, 1978, pp. Faller, Kathleen Coulborn. 34-35). (1988). Or is it the excuse? Seventy-fourpercent had a drinking problem" (Davidson, 1978, p. Norris, Joel. (1988). (1973). At the same time, it is clearthat there is a pattern of alcohol abuse among serial killers, as well asthe fact that there is generally a history of alcoholism in the family ofthe serial killer. . Alcohol use and abuseare- often linked to subsequent addiction to other [illegal] drugs. New York: Hawthorn. at age 13 or under. . TheBooze Merchants. Again, it would be misleading to arguethat serial murder can be blamed on alcohol. 31). She writes, for example, that "Studies show that 25percent of men who abuse (women or girls) don't use alcohol at all, andanother 25 percent batter whether they're drinking or not . However, it is conceivable that a person who wouldnormally be a thoughtful person and a careful driver, after a few drinks,might let down that carefulness and thoughtfulness and conclude that itwould be all right just once to drive down to the store for a few neededitems. We see, then, keeping in mind the subject of this study, that alcoholconsumption can be easily understood as a factor in the commission ofcrime. 32). If crime is viewed as a mysteriousphenomenon with no simple cause other than massive socioeconomic problems,then the notion of fighting crime will be seen as a virtually hopeless andunrealistic one. . One-half (to three-fourths) of auto accidents,including the 5 , deaths a year, involve alcohol. . 141-142). NewYork: Villard. With respect to the first offense, Harrity and Christensen write that"Under the Colorado Liquor and Beer code," for example, "the maximumpenalty for a seventeen-year-old (who is caught merely holding a can ofbeer) is a $5 to $5 fine and/or 9 days in a detention facility . As we have seen, one of the pleasurable as well as dangerouseffects of alcohol is a loss of inhibition, or a loss of control. Again, then, we see that alcohol plays a role in an individual'sengaging in criminal behavior by lessening that individuals already weakpowers of self-control. Rue writes from the perspective of a researcher who is not fullyconvinced of the connection between alcohol and violent crime, particularlydating violence. . . (1989). Alcohol: Our Biggest Drug Problem. When a person drinks alcohol, some or all of the following takesplace: he loses his inhibitions, allowing him to do things he would notnormally do; he desires to satisfy immediately his needs; he has little orno consideration for the long-term consequences of his actions, because heis too careless and too concerned with satisfying his needs; he is liableto associate with people and get into situations with which he wouldnormally have nothing to do. As Gold writes, alcohol is a gateway drug, in that it leads to theuse of illegal drugs: "A study found that more than half of the high schoolseniors who use cocaine began drinking beer . In Conjugal Crime, Davidson explores the relationship of alcohol andwifebeating. While the offenseis not limited to young people, the problem is in fact especially seriousfor youthful drivers who "make up only 17-19% of all licensed drivers.Yet, they account for a much larger percentage of all crashes, all fatalcrashes, and all injury accidents. Norris writes of the connection between alcohol abuse and a moreserious crime --- serial murder. This study will examine the links between alcohol and criminalactivity. . " However, insome cases, "as the drinking continues, drowsiness, extreme boisterousness,or depression . If thisloss of inhibition leads to a playful dance, then there is nothing wrong,but if it leads to a loss of control of one's temper, for example, it canbe dangerous indeed, as Davidson points out. . The far more serious and quite common criminal offense associatedwith drinking is driving under the influence of alcohol. . 6 -61). One relieves frustrated drives, finding enoughfreedom to satisfy immediate needs and desires. It is no accident, however, that alcohol is involved in such a high rateof criminal activity, for many criminals engaged in crime as a livelihoodhave learned early in life to use alcohol and other drugs as copingmechanisms --- to hide from pain, to soothe the suffering of failure, todeal with the strife of socioeconomic hardship. New York:McGrawHill. Furthermore,these statistics are probably quite conservative because substance abuserstend to conceal their chemical dependency and lie when asked about itdirectly" (Faller, 1988, p. Both narcotics and alcoholhave similar effects on the brain and neurological system: they depressgeneral body function while they suppress the normal social controls thatkeep aberrant behavior impulses in check. Rue, Nancy. Gold, Mark. (1991). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.