Racial and Ethnic Differences in Criminal Behavior

Excerpts from the Paper

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Criminal Behavior
What accounts for race/ethnic differences in criminal behavior? Black people in the U.S. are more heavily involved with the criminal justice system than white people, across age and gender. Social scientists and criminal justice professionals have put forth theories, ranging from individual characteristics to complex interacting environmental determinants, including poverty, discrimination, exposure to violence, disorganized neighborhoods, and socialization. This paper will review seven empirical studies that address race and ethnic differences in criminal behavior.
Tapia’s study on race and class effects on arrests of juveniles used conflict and labeling theory. There were three research...

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