Discuss the social functions of criminal law.
What will be an ideal response?
Answers will vary. Many observers believe that the main purpose of criminal law is to reflect the values and norms of society, or at least of those segments of society that hold power. Of course, public morals are not uniform across the entire nation, and a state's criminal code often reflects the values of its residents. Some scholars believe that criminal laws not only express the expectations of society, but "teach" them as well. Professor Lawrence M. Friedman of Stanford University thinks that just as parents teach children behavioral norms through punishment, criminal justice "'teaches a lesson' to the people it punishes, and to society at large." Making burglary a crime, arresting burglars, putting them in jail-each step in the criminal justice process reinforces the idea that burglary is unacceptable and is deserving of punishment. This teaching function can also be seen in traffic laws. There is nothing "natural" about most traffic laws: Americans drive on the right side of the street, the British on the left side, with no obvious difference in the results. These laws do, however, lead to a more orderly flow of traffic and fewer accidents-certainly socially desirable goals. The laws can also be updated when needed. For instance, California recently banned the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Various forms of punishment for breaking traffic laws teach drivers the social order of the road.
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A. vicarious self-blame B. recurring self-blame C. characterological self-blame D. behavioral self-blame
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