In 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigations reported that more than 1.2 million violent crimes were committed, and over seven million crimes involving property were reported (Lehman et al., 2018). While these figures are not historically frightening, they demonstrate that crime in all of its manifestations is a sad aspect of our society. However, only a tiny group of people are criminals in society, bringing the question, what motivates the small group to commit criminal acts. This question has always been asked since the establishment of civilization, leading to the development of criminology to try and scientifically determine the causes of crime. Each person has their life situations and specific reasons for committing crimes. This essay will discuss some personal reasons why people engage in unlawful behavior.
Poverty is among the most concrete reasons that people use to justify their crimes. Being economically deprived is the principal instigator that leads to poverty. A report by UNICEF indicated that more than three billion people globally are considered poor, with more than one billion of them being children (Lucci et al., 2018). The report further stated that about twenty thousand children die daily due to poverty-related reasons. Countries and states with high rates of economic deprivation often have higher numbers of people engaging in unlawful acts. Poor economic conditions and hunger force people to turn themselves into criminals to survive.
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When people stay for long periods without earning any sustainable income, frustration leads them to crime. Digital media plays a significant role in giving such people ideas on how criminal activities can be carried out. Such a case was seen in South Africa when a group of criminals tried to ram a truck transiting money like in the video game Grand Theft Auto V. Such frustration and information from the media could lead people into committing crimes. Thus, they would justify their actions by stating that they have to engage in crime to survive.
Unemployment is also a factor that may cause people to engage in crime. More than 30% of people in the world above the legal working age are unemployed (Bennett &Ouazad, 2020). Unemployment does affect not only developing countries but also developed countries. After completing their education, many young people may wait for long periods before getting formal employment. Frustration comes from the expenditure incurred when acquiring education which is very expensive in most countries. These young people may turn to crime as a means of survival and may destroy their potential careers in the process that thoroughly condemns them to a life of crime.
In my opinion, most of the people engaging in crime and other unlawful activities do it as a means of survival. I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood that neighbored a relatively more impoverished neighborhood. Most of the crimes that happened in my community were of food stores and markets getting robbed. There were very few violent crimes that left fatal casualties. This could indicate that most of the people involved in crimes on most occasions are always trying to provide for their families. Most young people who grow up in poor communities know that crime is a means of survival, and there is probably no other way. This young generation, on attaining youth status, starts engaging in crime to get their daily bread. Instead of working hard, they opt for criminal activities as it seems much more effortless. Seeing people turning to crime as a means of survival is why poverty and unemployment are the biggest reasons for corruption in the world today.
In conclusion, crime is still a significant problem globally. Research indicates that high rates of crime are directly related to the poverty levels of the people. Poorer countries and states experience higher rates of crime. Most of the people turning to crime do so as a means of survival. If these people had a sustainable source of livelihood that would elevate them from poverty, crime rates would drop. For any government to reduce the rates of crime in their country, it is necessary to lift the lives of those living below the poverty line.
References
Bennett, P., & Ouazad, A. (2020). Job displacement, unemployment, and crime: Evidence from Danish microdata and reforms. Journal of the European Economic Association, 18(5), 2182-2220. https://academic.oup.com/jeea/article-abstract/18/5/2182/5593807
Lehman, C. R., Hammond, T., & Agyemang, G. (2018). Accounting for crime in the US: Race, class and the spectacle of fear. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 56, 63-75.
Lucci, P., Bhatkal, T., & Khan, A. (2018). Are we underestimating urban poverty?. World development, 103, 297-310. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X17303467
