Changing urban conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Changing urban conditions - Essay Example There are many forms of crimes, but before going deep into the type of crimes, the definition must be known as it will serve as the basic understanding of that concept. Basically, crime is associated with the term illegal which means contrary to the law. It does not adhere to the rules as the rules known as laws are set by a nation to protect its citizens and properties. Once violated, the people who committed the crime are punished (Bailey, 2010, p. 4). The existence of laws and crimes occurs together as laws are present to antagonize the crimes and crimes happen whether intentional or not to go against the laws. Crime can also be defined in a more formal way as it is considered as a legal concept. A crime is any punishable act that the society considers as detrimental to its interest. The punishments do not only protect people but also groups and institutions. The acts covered by the concept of crime ranges from traffic violation to homicide, and the violators of the law receive the penalty to protect the society and correct the offenders at the same time (Cassel and Bernstein, 2007, p. 2). Punishments have been used as a form of discipline to get the desired actions for the individuals in the society. Discipline may not seem to be easy to impose on other people as it involves both pleasant and unpleasant to make the people obedient to the laws and authority (Lipsky, 1977, p. 249). The discipline imposed on the offenders is negative or unpleasant as they are secluded from most people and receive different treatment. Some even receive corporal punishment for their crimes committed. Corporal punishment is said to be gruesome as physical pain is applied to the violators or prisoners which can be in the form of electrocuting, whipping and handcuffs. Some states in America forbid the use of such punishments (Palmer, 2010, p. 40). There are many forms of crimes, but the three broad categories are