Free Essay Sample on Social Problem in Forensic Psychology

Introduction

There exist numerous social problems that one can identify within the scope of forensic psychology. One of these social problems is learning and recidivism among adult prisoners. A study by Fellner and Vinck (2012) showed that the number of adult prisoners is rising in the US correctional facilities, with the recidivism cases on the rise too. Recidivism cases among adults always pose a major problem as not very many prisons can accommodate the age-related changes experienced by older adults such as mobility, functional decline, and chronic medical conditions. The burgeoning geriatric prisoner population poses a social problem since correctional facilities are forced to spend more than usual since taking care of older adult prisoners is associated with higher economic costs. Besides, prisons and other correctional facilities are seen as not serving the role that they are supposed to serve of reducing the crime rates by deterring recidivism.

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Social Problem

To put it into context, a social problem is a dysfunctional phenomenon that relates to a group of individuals in a certain context, such as a social setting like society. Some of the most common social problems among adults include racism and poverty. Social problems lead to the suffering of the affected groups, and there is always the outcry to come up with the best solution (Meade et al., 2012). Social problems differ from one society to another. While in one society, the major social problems among adults could be homelessness, there are other societies where the major social problems could be health care or poverty. Thus, the solutions to social problems are dependent on the specific society. It is dependent on the culture of the society to consider an issue a social problem. For something to be considered a social problem, it must attract public attention. Additionally, a social problem leads to something harmful in society.

Social Conventions

Social problems are propagated by individuals who are altruistic in nature and are always against social conventions or the social expectations of the majority in society. In the study of forensic psychology, a major social problem is the high rate of recidivism among adults in the US. As identified at the beginning, recidivism among adults is a major issue of concern in the US today. While it is expected that an adult is supposed to be a role model and lead in the right way, criminal cases performed by adults always become an issue since it is against social expectations. Besides, it is expected that an adult should not repeat a crime after having been into a correctional facility. Contrarily, many adults are caught in repeat offenses, and this raises an issue in the society qualifying recidivism to be referred to as a social problem.

On the other hand, a research problem is usually defined as a statement regarding an area of concern or a troubling question that is present in the scholarly literature that needs to be investigated for optimal understanding. In social disciplines such as forensic psychology, the research problem may, in some cases, be posed as a form of a question. The question can only be answered through a thorough investigation that entails the collection and analysis of relevant data. A research problem in forensic psychology could entail an area that has been ignored, or that has not been fully researched on about recidivism among adult prisoners. One may want to identify the factors that contribute to recidivism among adults. Based on the identified social problem, the high rate of recidivism among adults in the US, the research problem related to it would be, “What are emotional causes of recidivism among adults in the US?” This provides a plausible study area since it is a gap that has not been addressed. Although there are studies that have looked at the general causes of recidivism among adults and juveniles, there is very little that has been done on the emotional causes of recidivism among adults.

Conclusion

The difference between the social problem that I have identified and the research problem is that the latter is more specific and direct, unlike the social problem, which stated generally. From the social problem, one has the liberty to discuss anything about recidivism among adults since the issue is open. However, the research problem is very specific on the particular issue related to recidivism. Thus, it corners and restricts the researcher on what issues to address as they relate to recidivism. For instance, the research problem focuses on the emotional causes of recidivism. What this means is that the researcher is limited to what issues to tackle. A research problem is the guiding pillar of any research. It is upon it that every other issue discussed in the research is derived. A research problem also seeks to fill a certain gap in research. For example, the given research problem restricts itself to the emotional causes of recidivism, which is an area that has been ignored.

References

Fellner, J. & Vinck, P., (2012). Old behind bars: the aging prison population in the United States. New York, N.Y: Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from
https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/usprisons0112webwcover_0.pdf

Meade, B., Steiner, B., Makarios, M., & Travis, L. (2012). Estimating a dose-response relationship between time served in prison and recidivism. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50(4), 525–550.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427812458928.