socialization and criminal behavior

socialization and criminal behavior

When studying several social factors of criminals, it is possible to see factors that influence the crime decision and ways situations like this could be avoided. Mary Bell was an eleven year old girl who lived in England in a poverty stricken area known as Scotswood. The criminal grew up the product of a prostitute mother and a thieving father figure. She was often abused, although does not admit to this until later in her life, and was only 11 years old when she became a criminal. According to Courtv “She was found guilty of Manslaughter because of diminished responsibility” in the murder of three year old Brian and another boy Martin.(2007)
Mary Bell would later speak of many things in life she endured. It was well known that she was a bed wetter amongst the neighborhood children, of which Brian and Martin were part of. Her mother would publicly humiliate her when she did by placing her mattress outside to show the neighborhood. Mary also stated her mother would offer her to business customers. Mary during her young years would frequently be left with various family members and seemed to suffer from an alarmingly high number of supposed medicinal intoxications. It is later suggested her mother my have Munchausen by proxy syndrome.
The child was very intelligent which alarmed police as well as her actions during the trial. She did attend school but not regularly. She was reported to have a very high IQ by psychiatrists working with her.   It was suggested by defense that because of her childhood, Mary suffered from sociopathology. She was unable to connect to society through normal affectionate means because of the environment she was in. The neighborhood kids often laughed, and made fun of her. She was humiliated constantly by her mother and never had a positive male role model. She responded to society with aggression and violence.
She did have a friend whom she was often seen about with. Her name was Norma. Norma lived close, next door to Mary. She was one...