Counselors meet all sorts of interesting and diverse people from all walks of life. Recently, I have spent many hours working with individuals with criminal backgrounds. They are often the most negatively stigmatized individuals in our society. "Lock 'em up and throw away the key" is an all-too-often refrain in our society, as if these people were no longer human, had no stories prior to a conviction, and always, always had other choices. My experience in counseling has shown me that many people who commit crimes do so in desperation in search of a worthy goal which appears unobtainable any other way. Many of these folks also come from horrendous backgrounds, void of any real childhood or role models, and are woefully short on social and cultural capital - the very tools one needs for a successful life built upon the foundation of a civil society.
Sociology is ripe with theoretical underpinnings seeking to help us understand deviant behaviors, including the Labeling Theory, Learning theories, Anomie and the Strain Theory. In a nutshell, people are not born deviant, or bad. People learn deviant behaviors from their environments and will employ these behaviors when trying to reach a goal, not otherwise obtainable through legitimate means. For example, someone might steal food when hungry, or rob a bank when in need of money for rent.
It's easy for others, who have the means and capital to move through life and obtain goals and build success without resorting to deviance, to label those who have committed crimes as "losers", "scum", "lazy", etc. and to ostracize them which further limits the opportunities of said persons. I have heard many clients explain their rationales for committing crimes, and many times it was for the benefit of others (usually family members and many times children). People with limited opportunities and little hope will resort to whatever means available to satisfy basic needs.
This holiday season, let's employ the best of world religious ideologies and withhold judgement of our fellow human beings who might otherwise engage in behaviors we do not understand or condone. Every person has a story and each story is more complex and easily misunderstood as the next. Let's seek to forgive those who have done others harm, and let's work toward a society that values every member unconditionally. Yes, actions have consequences, and we have a justice system to mete out those consequences, but behind every criminal action is a human being, born innocent unto a world with unequal opportunities and power imbalances, who is deserving of love, kindness and compassion. To me, that's the spirit of the season.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.
Be kind to each other and to yourself.
© Copyright 2014 Douglas Layer, M.A., LPCC
Sociology is ripe with theoretical underpinnings seeking to help us understand deviant behaviors, including the Labeling Theory, Learning theories, Anomie and the Strain Theory. In a nutshell, people are not born deviant, or bad. People learn deviant behaviors from their environments and will employ these behaviors when trying to reach a goal, not otherwise obtainable through legitimate means. For example, someone might steal food when hungry, or rob a bank when in need of money for rent.
It's easy for others, who have the means and capital to move through life and obtain goals and build success without resorting to deviance, to label those who have committed crimes as "losers", "scum", "lazy", etc. and to ostracize them which further limits the opportunities of said persons. I have heard many clients explain their rationales for committing crimes, and many times it was for the benefit of others (usually family members and many times children). People with limited opportunities and little hope will resort to whatever means available to satisfy basic needs.
This holiday season, let's employ the best of world religious ideologies and withhold judgement of our fellow human beings who might otherwise engage in behaviors we do not understand or condone. Every person has a story and each story is more complex and easily misunderstood as the next. Let's seek to forgive those who have done others harm, and let's work toward a society that values every member unconditionally. Yes, actions have consequences, and we have a justice system to mete out those consequences, but behind every criminal action is a human being, born innocent unto a world with unequal opportunities and power imbalances, who is deserving of love, kindness and compassion. To me, that's the spirit of the season.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.
Be kind to each other and to yourself.
© Copyright 2014 Douglas Layer, M.A., LPCC