Criminal Causes

(08/11/2014) Some people believe that crime is a result of social problems and poverty, other think that crime is a result of bad person’s nature. Discuss both view and give your opinion.

Paraphrase words: people commit crimes; people became criminals; to explain criminal behaviour

P1: People with bad characteristic usually get crime

1.     Most people today accept that parental neglect, low self-esteem, alcohol and drug abuse are all connected in explaining why people commit crimes.

2.     Children who are neglected or abused commit substantially more crimes later in life than others. Similarly, sexual abuse in childhood often leads these victims to become sexual predators as adults. Many inmates on death row have histories of some kind of severe abuse. The neglect and abuse of children often progresses through several generations. The cycle of abuse, crime, and sociopath keeps repeating itself.

P2: Agree with idea that the main reason of getting crime are social conditions and poverty

1.     Some people are simply at greater risk of becoming offenders because of the circumstances into which they are born.

2.     Most people today accept that poverty, parental neglect, low self-esteem, alcohol and drug abuse are all connected in explaining why people commit crimes.

3.     Social problems lead to crime: Normally as unemployment rises, city revenues decrease because fewer people are paying taxes. This causes cutbacks in city services including the police force. So a rise in criminal activity may not be due to fewer police, but rather rising unemployment.

4.     The desire for material gain (money or expensive belongings) leads to property crimes such as robberies, burglaries and auto thefts

Reasons for committing a crime include greed, anger, jealously, revenge, or pride. Some people decide to commit a crime and carefully plan everything in advance to increase gain and decrease risk. These people are making choices about their behavior; some even consider a life of crime better than a regular job—believing crime brings in greater rewards, admiration, and excitement—at least until they are caught. Others get an adrenaline rush when successfully carrying out a dangerous crime. Others commit crimes on impulse, out of rage or fear.

The desire for material gain (money or expensive belongings) leads to property crimes such as robberies, burglaries, white-collar crimes, and auto thefts. The desire for control, revenge, or power leads to violent crimes such as murders, assaults, and rapes. These violent crimes usually occur on impulse or the spur of the moment when emotions run high. Property crimes are usually planned in advance.

Solutions to tackle crime:

·       Individualists tend to focus on individual weakness or lack of 'values' as the reason why people commit crimes. Ultimately if someone chooses to commit a crime, that is their responsibility. If caught, the individual should pay the consequences. Individualists feel that society needs clearer rules and strong punishments to minimise criminal behaviour. If punishments were stronger and the police and the courts had more powers, there would be less crime.

·       Collectivists feel that in order to tackle crime, the social conditions which create the conditions for crime need to be addressed. So, better housing, better employment opportunities and a more equal society will make crime less of an attraction. If people are in work and are content with life, they will be less motivated to break the law.

·       Most recent governments accept that there are underlying causes of crime. But individuals need to accept responsibility for their actions. It is the government's job to tackle crime; both its causes and the offenders. As former Prime Minister Tony Blair said: 'being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime'.

Many people think that innate characteristics are responsible for the fact that some people turn into criminals. While I accept that crime may result from individual characteristics of violence or greed, I would argued that social issues and poverty are the main causes of criminal behavior.

Person’s nature may explain why a person commits crimes. Firstly, children who are neglected or abused commit substantially more crimes later in life than others. For instance, sexual abuse in childhood often leads these victims to become sexual predators as adults. Similarly, many inmates on death row have histories of some kind of severe abuse. Secondly, reasons for committing a crime may include some bad characteristics such as greed, anger, jealously, or pride. These people are making choices about their behavior; some even consider a life of crime better than a regular job—believing crime brings in greater rewards, admiration, and excitement—at least until they are caught.

Nevertheless, it seems to me that social problems and poverty are the main causes behind crime. There are many issues in society which might lead to an increase in the crime rate. For example, normally as unemployment rises, city revenues decrease because fewer people are paying taxes. This causes cutbacks in city services including the police force. As a consequence, the number of offenders has climbed in many countries over recent decades. Another reason is that, more logically, poverty in general leads to a rise in crime. If people do not have enough money to make ends meet, they will be tempted to pursue illegal activities just to support themselves and their families

In conclusion, although both views certainly have some validity, I strongly believe that the principal causes of crime are a result of social conditions and poverty.