To what extent does the criminal law control behaviour?

Question

To what extent does the criminal law control behaviour?

Answer 1

I consider the law a very poor role model.

It ‘teaches’ I’m your boss, I make the rules, I dictate, I dominate, YOUR opinion doesn’t count.

And if you don’t abide by MY rules… I coerce, I WILL hurt you! I’ve got a license to do so. It’s justified and it is your OWN fault… you MAKE me do it… I have NO other choice. You cannot run, you cannot fight back (instinctive flight or fight reaction).  Instead, I teach you ‘learned helplessness’.

And to add insult to injury I say, “I do it for your OWN good”.

Needless to say, if parents just copy this model to attempt to ‘control’ their children -- in the name of discipline -- they will face tremendous resistance that increases with the child’s age. At some point when the child has reached enough physical strength, they may be in for a fierce battle if they insist ‘MAKING’ the young adult do things they don’t want.

It’s time humans wake up and look for better alternatives to punishment and negative reinforcement.

People don’t go bonkers for no reason, they do because they can’t cope mentally.

The thing that’s really missing is education… learning how to solve conflicts -- or better still how to avoid them in the first place, respecting and meeting other’s needs and desires. Most people have no idea how to use positive reinforcement to modify behaviour, because uhm… they’ve never learned… duh!

And how to elicit cooperation instead of coercion and forcing through resistance.

If you have a reasonably understanding of Operant- and Classical- Conditioning (science of behaviour analysis/modification and the fundamentals of psychology), you’d recognize that the law uses only the nastiest of the quadrants, that are loaded with side-effects.

Metaphorically speaking, I’d say that is like building a structure on a foundation of mud. It’s weak, it needs never-ending patching up, only strong struts will keep it standing and eventually it’ll reach a height where it will collapse and the pieces are going to fall on everyone.

You’ve probably already figured that the ‘strong struts’ in this metaphor represents heavily armed cops.

Sorry, long post again, but I haven’t even scratched the surface yet,

Answer 2

In fact, the first person to answer your question was on the dot. 81% of behaviour is controlled by Criminal law. According to Justice Higgins of the Supreme Court of NSW Australia.

Answer 3

Criminal law, or any laws, are decided by what is considered to be best for all concerned, or in some places, dictated.

These laws cannot and do not control whether someone commits a criminal act. They are there to suggest a desired behavioural mode only, for right or wrong.

If a person heeds the law, that person is considered a good citizen.

If a person breaks the law, but is unaware of the laws, he may be punished, but having been made aware the hard way the laws exist, may not re- offend.

If a person knowingly breaks the law or repeatedly re- offends, they are considered criminal, and the law comes down with more force.

Remember, though, these laws are man- made.

A law in one country or place is not necessarily a law somewhere else. A criminal act therefore, depends on the particular place or situation.

Laws are an attempt to give some order to our world. That's all.

Answer 4

The law probably curbs maybe 80% of potential criminal behavior. Its hard to say really