The Effects of Stereotyping on Criminal Behaviors

Research on Social Class, Race, and Criminal Behavior

Research carried out in the Columbus neighborhood in Ohio State revealed the relationship between social class, race, and criminal behaviors. Mauer writes that both the Whites and Blacks in the area are equally disadvantaged but the violent crime rates vary. Moreover, he notices that the high levels of unemployment among African Americans push them to commit crime. Additionally, the writer cites that legitimacy and access to employment opportunities affect the criminal tendencies of an individual. For instance, most African Americans engage in drug dealing to supplement their daily income. They earn as little as $800 per month and are physically isolated from employment centers. Thus, they will entertain the idea of making an extra $2000 per month through illegal drug sales (Mauer, 2006). The high number of blacks selling drugs creates competition that leads to increased criminal activities. Therefore, an increase in their salaries, youth experience, and greater access to jobs would help reduce criminal activities. Interestingly, the whites have greater access to job opportunities and are less likely to engage in criminal activities as they grow into adulthood, which cannot be said for the African Americans. Furthermore, the whites’ personalized job referral networks make it easy for them to access jobs.

Media Evidence over Stereotyping

Stereotyping refers to making assumptions or generalizing previous beliefs or experiences. In contemporary society, the media plays a major role in shaping these beliefs as most people get informed of daily happenings through media platforms. Politicians and other influential entities will circulate biased information and knowledge to change specific societal issues to their advantage. Similarly, media houses will package crime news in ways that overwhelm any informative or intelligent debate on solving the issues. For them, the distorted crime and justice data act as a source of income as it generates the required public appeal. For instance, Mauer presents the Kemba Smith case as an example of the effect misrepresentation of data may have over stereotyping. This incident saw the Emerge magazine portray Smith as an innocent girlfriend who was just a victim of circumstance (Mauer, 2006). The resulting public uproar and sympathy earned her a sentence commutation. It is evident that the story published influenced the beliefs of the readers to an extent that they pushed for a plea of greater leniency for Smith.

Work Cited

Mauer, M. (2006). Race to incarcerate. New York: New Press.