Causes Of Crime Flashcards
Introduction
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, crime is an act or omission with constitutes an offence and is punishable by law. This means that crime is any form of delinquency that should face the consequences of legislation. According to ukcrimestats.com, as of October 2019, there has been 522,349 criminal offences committed in England and Wales alone within a span of 2 months. Many factors should come into consideration when discussing the many causes of crime, such as the factors: social, economic, and biological. However it shall be argued that the social causes of crime are the most prominent.
Social (KNOWLEDGE 1)
There are many social reasons that can cause crime. Alcohol and drug abuse can lead to crimes being committed and Glasgow University academics found in 2013 that people living in an area with 6 alcohol outlets or more can expect crime rates twice as high as those in an area with only 3.
Social (KNOWLEDGE 2)
Youth Crime and gang culture is also a major cause of crime as according to the Scottish government, in 2013, 43% of all crimes and offences in Scotland were attributable to young people under the age of 21 and that year up to 3500 young people between 11-23 had joined a street gang within the borders of Glasgow.
Social (KNOWLEDGE 3)
Lastly, different family structures may also lead to crime being committed as Ian Duncan Smith, former work and pensions secretary, stated that “children from broken homes are 10 times more likely to commit crimes” and also that “ 7 out of 10 offenders come from broken homes”.
Social (evaluation)
In evaluating the extent to which social factors cause crime, it can be argued that social factors do have an impact on why crime is committed because this includes gang crime, substance misuse and family structure which can all have an impact on levels of crime committed. Nevertheless, it shall be argued that social factors are in fact more significant than biological or economic aspects because there are many different aspects such as alcohol and drugs, gang culture and family structure that can influence people of all ages and make them more susceptible to crime.
Economic (KNOWLEDGE 1)
There are many economical factors that would influence the statistics of crime, one of which is education.
In 2014, Fella and Gallipoli, two researchers at the University of British Columbia, states in their report of the correlation between education and crime: “The paper definitely shows that increasing the enrolment numbers decreases the amount of crime at a given time, by giving individuals the necessary tools to enter the workforce, instead of turning to crime.” Meaning that the more people are educated the less crimes there are, as there is hope for these young individuals.
Economic (KNOWLEDGE 2)
Another economical influencer of crime, is the presence of poverty in society. In 2019, london.gov.uk, states that 75% of the districts in London with the highest levels of violent crimes are also in the top 10 most financially deprived.
Economic (Evaluation)
Therefore in evaluation, the economical factors of education and poverty greatly influence the quantity of crime as the lack of education would bring people to lack the necessary tools for success in the workforce and would therefore be more susceptible to acts of crime. Crime is also present in many impoverished areas of London. Despite this, these factors do not ensure the certainty that people who lack education and financial support will definitely commit crime, therefore compared to the other factors, it will not be the most prominent.
Biological (KNOWLEDGE 1)
An article published by the Telegraph in 2012 stated that a study taken at the University of Texas of 4,000 people suggested that up to 70% of our chance of lifelong criminality was genetic
Biological (KNOWLEDGE 2)
Many people with mental health issues also end up in the criminal system. Derek McGill, governor of HMP Barlinnie, said he could fill an entire hall at the prison with people who have mental health problems.
Biological (KNOWLEDGE 3)
However, a University of Edinburgh study into all of Scotland’s prisons found little evidence that major mental illness is common in the prison population.
Biological (evaluation)
To sum up, human nature is a reason as to why people commit crimes as their genetic traits make them more likely to be aggressive and commit crimes as well as mental health issues also making them unaware of what they are doing and making them unable to decide what is right and wrong, leading them to a life of crime.
Conclusion
In conclusion, crime is caused in different ways socially, economically and biologically, however social factors have the most significant impact.
Economic factors cause crime because those living in poverty are a lot more likely to commit crime as shown by the fact that in 2019, 75% of the districts in London with the highest levels of violent crimes are also in the top 10 most financially deprived. However economic factors cannot be considered most significant and are less significant than social factors because poverty doesn’t completely force people to commit crime as there are still many people living in poverty who do not break the law.
Biological factors also lead to crime being committed because there is evidence to suggest that those who commit crime are genetically predisposed to do so as shown by the Telegraph in 2012 stated that a study taken at the University of Texas of 4,000 people suggested that up to 70% of our chance of lifelong criminality was genetic. However, biological factors aren’t as important as social factors because a University of Edinburgh study into all of Scotland’s prisons found little evidence that major mental illness was common within prison inmates, proving that biological factors don’t affect the vast majority of those committing crimes and there are many other reasons why they would do so.
Lastly, social factors lead to crime being committed in many different ways such as alcohol and drug use and gang culture as shown by the fact that up to 3500 young people between 11-23 had joined a street gang within the borders of Glasgow in 2013. Social factors are the most important reason as to why crime is committed and are more important that both biological and economical factors because they affect everyone in many different ways, including people of all ages and family backgrounds and therefore have the most significant impact on why people break the law.
