How Poverty and Crime Are Linked

Literature Review 

One of the key questions that has been raised when dealing with the issue of crime, especially in urban areas, is whether poverty has any role to play towards increasing the possibility of crime. The link between these two themes can be noted due to the fact that societies with high levels of poverty tend to experience the highest cases of crime, which can be attributed to the latter. However, it is important to examine how poverty acts as a contributing factor to the issue of crime and how it relates directly to the occurrence of crime, as it relates to any given social institution. The expectation when engaging in this analysis is that one would be able to understand the overall structure of crime with regard to its causation factor, which is high levels of poverty in the society.

Desperation as a Factor of Poverty 

According to Gibb, Fergusson, & Horwood (2012), poverty, which can be considered as the inability to meet one’s economic needs, creates a sense of desperation among the people involved taking into account that it becomes somewhat challenging for them to engage in activities matching their individual needs. The expected outcome of this is that the most likely possibility of turning to crime increases significantly. Gibb, Fergusson, & Horwood (2012) argue that majority of these persons turning to crime as a way of life tend to believe in the fact that crime would offer them a sense of acceptance with regard to meeting their economic expectations. The ultimate result of this is that it becomes much easier for the people to engage in criminal activities especially when dealing with violent crimes with the view and understanding that this would act as their only livelihoods.

Inequality 

Poverty occurs as a result of a wide array of economic issues including inequality in areas of employment and wages, as well as, lack of key ways through which people would be able to advance their lifestyles. For youths between the ages of 18 and 25 years, this acts as a serious challenge considering that it creates the need for them to come up with a clear approach on how they would be able to meet their respective economic expectations (Hipp, 2007). The most likely solution for these persons is turning to crime with the view that this would provide them with some sense of connection towards the societies in which they live. Ulmer, Harris, & Steffensmeier (2012) argue that governments are failing in their bid to ensuring that the youths remain engaged in different forms of employment, which results in most of these youths turning to crime as a way of getting rich quickly.

Poverty as a Psychological Factor for Crime 

In a study, MacDonald, Hipp, & Gill (2013) took note of the fact that poverty is viewed as one of the psychological factors that is prompting persons towards engaging in criminal activities with the view that this would help them cater for their needs and those of their immediate families. In cases where persons have families, poverty not only creates a sense of desperation but also acts as a push towards leading a criminal lifestyle. MacDonald, Hipp, & Gill (2013) point to the fact that some of these persons would be willing to engage in violence as part of their criminal activities with the sole intention being towards getting money to sustain their families. From that perspective, it is clear that indeed poverty acts as one of the causation factors that is contributing to the high crime rates in different parts of the world today.

Persons facing notable challenges as a result of poverty tend to create the perception that their engagement in crime would work as the only solution for them towards dealing with the economic challenges that they are facing (Ulmer, Harris, & Steffensmeier, 2012). In other words, this means that the people tend to hold the view that crime would be the only solution for them in trying to create a positive platform through which to maximize on their situation for positive outcomes. Pare & Felson (2014) point to the fact that poverty tends to create what would be considered as a corrupted principle on social justice, which creates a major challenge in dealing with some of the issues arising within the society. For majority of the people, this means that they would be expected to create what is described as a platform for social justice with the sole focus being towards matching set out expectations for the people.

Failure in Societal Systems 

Stretesky, Schuck, & Hogan (2004) point to the fact that poverty serves as a key guideline that shapes the policy structure within any given social institution with the view that people would be impacted in different social systems. That means that the people find themselves in a situation where it becomes difficult for them to elevate themselves from poverty. The ultimate result of this is that majority of these persons tend to hold the perception that their engagement in crime would serve as a key way through which to advance their overall connections to the society. Stretesky, Schuck, & Hogan (2004) point to a distorted understanding of the impact poverty arguing that majority of the people find themselves in a situation where it becomes difficult or challenging for them to connect to what would be viewed as a structured social institutions. From that perspective, the possibility of having to engage in crime increases at a rapid rate with majority of these persons trying to focus much of their attention towards what they believe is a way of building their livelihoods and success in their lives.

Poverty occurs as a result of the fact that majority of the people find themselves in a situation where they do not have the expected levels of education that would allow them to seek alternative ways through which to cater for their livelihoods (Dunaway, Cullen, Burton Jr, & Evans, 2000). Consequently, this means that a significant number of the persons engaging in crime tend to hold the perception that this is the only opportunity that they would have to succeed in life. The consequence of this is that it creates a higher level of connection between poverty and crime with the view that poverty is much more likely to contribute to the occurrence of crime within the society or social institution or system.

Financial Security 

The expectation when dealing with persons that are facing a key risk as a result of poverty is that these persons must be accorded financial security with the aim being towards ensuring create a sense of connection to the society (Petrosino & Pace, 2015). However, this would mean that the people would be expected to adopt a structured platform through which to understand some of the key factors contributing to the issue of poverty. The ultimate expectation of this is that it will help create a new platform through which to deal with the issue at hand, which is the existing relationship between poverty and crime. Ludwig, Duncan, & Hirschfield (2001) argue that this would help towards reducing exposure to crime significantly considering that the people would be in a position through which to cater for their economic needs and demands.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Existing Research 

Existing research that seeks to examine the relationship between poverty and crime presents a wide array of strengths and weaknesses. Examining these strengths and weaknesses is important, as it will help in providing a clear understanding of what to expect when engaging in an analysis of the research studies. Additionally, this will also provide readers with a key avenue through which to examine the quality of research that has been conducted with regard to this particular topic as a way of trying to build that clear-cut link between the two themes, as they have been presented.

Strengths 

When focusing on their strengths, the first key aspect to note is that the existing research embraced an evidence-based approach in trying to build credibility and validity of the studies. That means that researchers do not only seek to provide readers with information surrounding the impacts of poverty on crime but also seek to provide them with evidence to support the same position. Consequently, this means that readers would be in a better position through which to define the validity and reliability of the information presented.

The second strength associated with existing research is that most of the studies seek to highlight the implications of the findings within the social setting. The examination of the implications is important, as it helps towards creating a new front through which people are able to connect to the research conducted. That means that readers would be able to understand the extent to which these themes affect their respective livelihoods. Additionally, the examination of the implications is important, as it helps towards creating a new platform through which people are able to reflect on valid solutions to the issue at hand.

The third notable strength that can be associated with existing research is that majority of the studies tend to utilize descriptive research with the sole intention being towards providing their readers with an in-depth understanding of the topic at hand. Having a descriptive analysis of the topic is important as it seeks to ensure that readers would be able to maximize on what is expected of them in terms of building that proactive understanding of the themes while reflecting on their impacts. Readers of these research articles tend to have a clear advantage in their need towards trying to examine the issue from multiple perspectives.

Weaknesses 

On the other hand, it is important to take note of several key weaknesses that can be associated with existing research focusing on this particular topic. The first major weakness is that the existing research on the topic fails to highlight the implications of not engaging effectively in the debate on the link between poverty and crime. Thus, this means that readers of the existing research on the topic may not be in any position of having to examine the negative implications that can be associated with effective non-engagement of the topic. The second weakness of existing research is that they fail to provide ways through which to implement recommendations aimed at dealing with the issue at hand. Although most of the research studies provide readers with recommendations, the implementation of the same is seen as not achieving the expected results in dealing with the issue at hand. One key question that future studies may consider revolves around how the government would use poverty as a key tool through which to deal with crime. In this studies, the researchers ought to point out how governments would achieve overall efficiency in dealing with poverty through empowerment of the people, as well as, building avenues for equality to help boost financial security.

References

Dunaway, R. G., Cullen, F. T., Burton Jr, V. S., & Evans, T. D. (2000). The myth of social class and crime revisited: An examination of class and adult criminality.  Criminology ,  38 (2), 589-632.

Gibb, S. J., Fergusson, D. M., & Horwood, L. J. (2012). Childhood family income and life outcomes in adulthood: findings from a 30-year longitudinal study in New Zealand.  Social Science & Medicine ,  74 (12), 1979-1986.

Hipp, J. R. (2007). Income inequality, race, and place: Does the distribution of race and class within neighborhoods affect crime rates?.  Criminology ,  45 (3), 665-697.

Ludwig, J., Duncan, G. J., & Hirschfield, P. (2001). Urban poverty and juvenile crime: Evidence from a randomized housing-mobility experiment.  The Quarterly Journal of Economics ,  116 (2), 655-679.

MacDonald, J. M., Hipp, J. R., & Gill, C. (2013). The effects of immigrant concentration on changes in neighborhood crime rates.  Journal of Quantitative Criminology ,  29 (2), 191-215.

Pare, P. P., & Felson, R. (2014). Income inequality, poverty and crime across nations.  The British journal of sociology ,  65 (3), 434-458.

Petrosino, C., & Pace, J. (2015). Social cohesion, collective efficacy, and the response of a Cape Verdean community to hate crime: learning a new reality.  American Behavioral Scientist ,  59 (13), 1681-1697.

Stretesky, P. B., Schuck, A. M., & Hogan, M. J. (2004). Space matters: An analysis of poverty, poverty clustering, and violent crime.  Justice Quarterly ,  21 (4), 817-841.

Ulmer, J. T., Harris, C. T., & Steffensmeier, D. (2012). Racial and ethnic disparities in structural disadvantage and crime: White, Black, and Hispanic comparisons.  Social science quarterly ,  93 (3), 799-819.