JUS212TOPIC2

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Grand Canyon University *

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212

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Sociology

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Apr 24, 2024

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docx

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2

Uploaded by MateWillpowerTarsier45 on coursehero.com

Professor, The short yet academic answer would be due to our unconscious defense mechanism of coping known as cognitive dissonance. Defense mechanisms are unconscious coping systems that help humans deal with stressful situations. Defense mechanisms aren't always negative, especially if they help people get through tough times or channel negative emotions into something constructive. However, when used excessively or over an extended period of time, they cause problems.. Cognitive dissonance is best explained as the difference between people believe and what they do, which makes them want to do things (or reframe from doing) that will make them feel better (Festinger, 1957). People try to get rid of this tension in different ways, like by ignoring, rejecting, or explaining away new information. Regarding your question professor, why do we still have a hard time identifying school shooters? The answer is that we simply do not want to. It is perplexing to try and think of the kid next door being capable of such travesty, or your son’s best friend or even your own child. Much like when we see something sad on the news or a tear jerking commercial, we think God in our head it didn’t happen to us, but that’s as far as the thought goes because we do not want to dive deeper into that area of thought. I may be wrong, but this is my best effort in guessing. This week I have found it unbelievably difficult to research the Columbine school shootings as I have children in high school myself and as a mother my mind cannot help but consider the possibilities and that is quite abhorring. Reference: Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press. DQ 2-2 Professor and class, Dr. Cesar Lambroso was the first person to propose the natural hypothesis of traits, which is an approach to providing an explanation for a crime. The hypothesis was initially put forward as a response to the widespread belief that a person's propensity toward criminal behavior was influenced by particular characteristics. People who study criminology, psychology, or any of the other fields in human behavior that are related to it, continue to research and acknowledge that criminals, just like animals, are influenced by individual traits (Siegel, 2000). According to the trait theory, people who commit crimes do so because they have certain personality traits that make them more likely to engage in criminal behavior. In criminology, a trait is a facet of human personality or behavior that can have both positive and negative implications for the individual and for society as a whole. The inability to accurately predict the behaviors of individuals is one of the most significant limitations of the trait theory. Even if a person has a high score on a particular trait, that does not necessarily mean that all of those people share the characteristics that define that trait. The inability of these theories to account for the development of varying personalities is another significant weakness that undermines their credibility. Reference: Siegel, L. (2000). Crime and Criminology (From Criminology, Seventh Edition, 2000, Larry J. Siegel, -- See NCJ-185178) | Office of Justice Programs. Office of Justice Programs.
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/crime-and-criminology-criminology-seventh- edition-p-2-25-2000-larry
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