Table of ContentsSummaryDefining the Death PenaltyHistory of the Death PenaltyPsychological FactorsSociological FactorsNature Vs. CultureDifferent ViewpointsReferencesAbstractThis research paper focuses on the death penalty (or capital punishment). In the following paragraphs, the definition, history, psychological and sociological factors will be studied. The nature versus nurture debate in relation to the death penalty will also be discussed, as well as the different views on the death penalty as a punishment option. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Defining the Death Penalty. Convicts can be sentenced to death for treason, espionage, large-scale drug trafficking and, in most cases, murder. In some cases, executions take place because the offender was under 18 when the crime was committed. Other times it is used against people with mental or intellectual disabilities, but it can also be used after an unfair trial - depending on the country. History of the death penalty The history of the death penalty is long . This dates back to the 18th century BC, when the first death penalty laws were recorded. So here's a quick overview of how it started. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (2019), “laws date back to the 18th century BC in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Hittite Code of the 14th century BC; in the draconian Code of Athens of the 7th century BC, which made death the only punishment for all crimes; and in the Roman law of the twelve tablets of the fifth century BC.” Previously, death sentences were carried out by crucifixion, burning alive, drowning and sometimes impalement. It was not until the 10th century AD that hanging became a popularized form of death sentence in Britain. In the 16th century, common methods of execution included "boiling, burning at the stake, hanging, beheading, drawing, and quartering." Some of the reasons for executions at the time could even have been related to capital crimes, such as marrying a Jew, not confessing to a crime and/or treason. “The number of capital crimes in Britain continued to rise over the next two centuries. In the 1700s, there were 222 crimes punishable by death in Britain, including theft, felling a tree and stealing a rabbit hole. It was between 1823 and 1837 that more than 100 of the 222 crimes punishable by death were eliminated. Psychological Factors The victim's family is in a position that no one else can relate to when they are in the courtroom. The victim's family and loved ones are usually present on the day of the hearing and sometimes have a say in the verdict and sentence. Some families say that executing the offender is the best choice for them because it helps them gain closure and feel safer. Others say that killing another person would only bring more pain. When looking at the psychological factors of the victims' families, this can influence the decision whether or not to execute the offender. The final decision as to whether or not the offender will be sentenced to death is of course made by the judge and the office, but the feelings and opinions of the family are taken into account. Sociological factors Many factors are taken into account whenthe decision of whether a murderer or not. will be sentenced to death, but some are mentioned more often than others. The race, gender and social class of the victim as well as the offender are taken into consideration and are sometimes the deciding factor in whether the offender will face the death penalty or life in prison. The justice system is known to treat female offenders more leniently than male offenders. This is because women are often seen as powerless or in a position of victimization, even though this is not the case. “In previous research, judges themselves have confirmed the court's preferential treatment of female offenders (e.g. Johnson, 2003; Nagel and Johnson, 1994; Simon and Ahn-Redding, 2005). Multiple factors can prompt a judge to treat a female offender differently from a man, such as pregnancy, being a single mother or having been victimized in the past. » In terms of race, the social justice system is known to favor white offenders over people of color. A study by Professor Katherine Beckett of the University of Washington indicates that Washington jurors "were four and a half times more likely to impose a death sentence when the defendant was black than in cases involving white defendants in a similar situation. Beckett also writes: “The average American has a 1 in 20 chance of being imprisoned at some point in their life, but this rate is much higher for Latino men (1 in 6) and African American men (more 1 in 3) than for Latino men (1 in 6) and African American men (more than 1 in 3). for white men (1 in 23). Strikingly, one in nine black men under the age of 25 lives under some form of restricted freedom: in jail, prison, probation or parole. » Not only are the charges generally more severe when the accused is a person of color, but more often than not, the accused receives the death penalty if the victim is white. Of all the cases where the death penalty has been used since 1976, 338 of them had a black victim, 1,660 had a white victim and 199 were of other ethnicities. There is obvious bias in the justice system, in that a black man is often accused of murdering a white man, but when the roles are reversed, there seems to be much more forgiveness. Nature versus Nurture Nature versus nurture can be applied to capital punishment when we talk about whether or not people are inherently evil, or whether their situation and circumstances are the reason they committed a crime. It is a major factor in the decision whether or not to abolish the death penalty. James Garbarino, author of “Listening to Killers,” revealed in a 2016 questionnaire conducted by the American Psychological Association that “most killers are untreated, traumatized children who control the actions of the scary adults they have become.” In this case, we have to ask ourselves if killing these mentally unstable and traumatized people is the best action to take, or if there is hope and they can see a specialist and recover from their trauma. Many claim that most of the accused have been nurtured into this cruel side of themselves and that they can change. This is an argument often made against the death penalty. But others believe that it is impossible to recover from such a state of mind. They believe that if someone is evil enough to kill, it is in their nature and they will always have that evil in them. Different Views There are two clear views on whether or not we should