Introduction
Criminology is the scientific study of the extent, cause and control of criminal behavior in an individual or a society. However, research in criminology includes incidence, causes and consequences of any committed crime. Crime is an act that violates the cultural believes and laws of a given society (Roberts 2006, p.115). This is because; it entails going against or violating the social believes of the society or people. They have well-stated consequences of stealing in their law books. In addition, the definition of crime and criminology varies from one place to another. This is due to the different cultures and social believes of different groups of people.
On the other hand, many schools and collages offer criminology as a course or subject. With the rising number of colleges that offer criminology as a course, the number of educated people on this field also increases. However, this is to ensure that the number of crimes committed decrease, as the number of crime manager’s increases. By this, people are able to live in an environment that has very few numbers of crimes. Criminology relies on quantitative methods as its way of education. Additionally, from the research conducted, so many things bring about crime (karmen 2009, p. 223). Poverty takes the lead. With the increase in poverty levels in various countries, many people resolve to criminal activities to earn a living. This is because; they are unable to secure jobs that can help them in maintaining their families.
Causes of committing crimes
However, if the various governments could find a way of eradicating poverty, then the number of reported crimes could also reduce. Additionally, low levels of education also increase the crime rates in different countries (Payne 2005, p.13). However, without education, the level of thinking is also limited and this leads many people to committing petty crimes in order to survive. Additionally, gender, age, poverty, low levels of education and alcohol consumption contribute largely to the increased number of crimes committed.
In many countries, youths are the people identifies from the age of 16 years and above (Samaha 2006, p. 608). There is no clear cut of adulthood. This is because from fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and eighteen it is like a fluid period the person does not really know weather he/she is an adult or child. Henceforth, when the person committees a crime, he/she is no longer taken to juvenile but taken to prison where he/she is able to interact with the elderly (Davies & Croall 2009, p. 568).
However, the media play a major role when it comes to the youth crimes (Kendall 2012, p. 203). This is because, many headlines in the NEWS the television stations or even radios have a tendency of using powerful word and enduring perception that creates a mental picture in many adults or peoples minds on how many youths are associated with crime or on how the youths committee a large number of crimes (Siegel 2010, p. 756). These striking headlines always tint the names of the youth far much more as compared to the original perpetrators of the crime. A perpetrator is an English name that means doers, agents, committers or even wrong doers (Marsh, Cochrane & Melville 2004, p. 236).
Additionally, the perpetrators are less or not mentioned at all in all the crimes that they do (Judah & Bryant 2004, p. 265), this makes it hard to identify with them and by this, and youths become very much highlighted as the perpetrators of the particular crime (Smartt 2006, p. 226). It is unfortunate that many people, when asked about the opinion on “youths and crime,” will comment positively and agree that the number of crimes committed by the youths is on the rise (Green 2008, p.69).
However, this is because of the television stations, books and newspapers that they read not knowing (Miller & Gaines 2011, p. 496), that the media emphasizes more on youths and crime opposed to the perpetrators of the crime. Additionally, the society is to blame (Schmalleger 2013, p. 752). The society regards the youths of today as people who do not have respect to their elder generation. Many people are used to hearing these kinds of statement most of the time. It is evident that almost every generation always finds something to criticize or even to fear in the youths (Inciardi 2010, p. 672).
However, researchers tend to use sociological explanations used to the collective behavior of youth or young people (Reid 2012, p. 568). Some researchers tend to think that there are various and different reasons as to why youth engage in different kinds of crimes. Very few of them suggest that lack of motivation from the elderly people or parents can be a cause of the youths engaging in crimes (Judah & Bryant 2004, p. 265). Additionally, many youths engage in crimes due to peer pressure.
Peer pressure among the youths is a very dangerous weapon (Davies & Croall 2009, p. 568). This is because many youths cannot make a decision on their own. This is because they are afraid of what their friends might think about them (Samaha 2005, p. 58). By this, many youths engage in very many bad things including crime. A number of youths find themselves as victims of crime because they do not care about the consequences or they do not realize. Many youths have the culture or character of not caring about the consequences of whatever things that they do.
In addition, boredom also contributes largely to the number of vandalism and graffiti crimes committed by the young people (Miller & Gaines 2011, p. 496). Boredom in many young people is by the lack of something constructive to do. Many youths find themselves idol with nothing to keep them busy and the next nearest option they can get is by carrying out graffiti, not knowing it is a crime. Generally, the reasons why many people not only the youths, engage in crimes are different and varied.
This makes it hard on the researchers to base their research as one theory (Schmalleger 2013, p. 752). On the other hand, the gathering and movement of young people in groups has a bad notion. Many researchers link it with the increasing number of crimes committed by the young people (Siegel 2009, p. 122). Additionally, it has a tendency of growing into a gang in the future, and this explains the increase in the number of youth crimes. This is because youths find it easy to operate in gangs rather than as an individual (Samaha 2006, p. 608). In addition, they are not encouraged to pursue the helpful and correct things in life (Davies & Croall 2009, p.568).
This is because the media has already created a negative image of the youths to the society and it makes the society think that they are of no importance to the society. The notion of criminal career is a common theme of studies in criminology. In many parts of the world, petty offenders of crime such as the young people of victims of crimes always grow to be the main criminals. This is because, of their experience around the justice criminal systems. They progress from the petty offenders they were to the serious crimes (Siegel 2010, p.60). This is due to lack of effective and efficient support from the society and parents. Additionally, is by the influence of other offenders who encourage the young people to continue with the crime life. The development of a sense of criminal identity also encourages the youths from a petty crime doer to a serious crime doer (Siegel 2010, p. 756).
However, if the environment is full of crime doers, then many young people are prone to involve in crimes at an early stage and continue with it (Judah & Bryant 2004, p. 265). This is because; they will view it as a lifestyle with lesser consequences in their minds. However, if the environment has lesser numbers of crime doers then a large number of the youths will have good morale values. Having good moral values means, the young people focus with their lives. By this, the young people are able to take their studies seriously, get a job in the future and have a family.
However, crime remains a big issue both politically and socially. Many governments do not know the proper way of dealing with the offenders both juvenile and adults. However, their general out come is to make the offender take responsibility of his/her actions and know that what he/she did was wrong. By this, they are able to help the offender in knowing what is right and what is wrong. Additionally, they make the offender understand what he/she did and by this, they can easily help him/her. There is a common notion that young people are disturbing, violent and by this, they are prone of committing many different kinds of crimes. This is due to their quiet nature.
They are anti social and by this; they are capable of doing all the wrong things (Smartt 2006, p. 226). Additionally, the number of bad young people perceived by the media is on the rise (Siegel 2010, p.49). This is because; the number of negative things aired by the media is more as compared to the number of positive things. However, the young people can be petty crime offenders or victimized persons (Miller & Gaines 2011, p. 496). Their offending habits noted in an early stage by their parents, teachers or the society could be of great importance if safety precautions follow their after. When the society realizes the many young people are petty offenders it needs to come up with ways of helping them not criticizing them (Schmalleger 2013, p. 752).
In addition, the older generation should know that the young people are vulnerable to victimization (Siegel 2010, p. 49). They should not be quick to judge, but they should be quick to help them. This is because, young people do not have a say when it comes to negative criticism impacted. They cannot stand for themselves at any one time. Additionally, as much as they try to stand for themselves, their voices cannot be hard (Siegel 2009, p. 122). To the elderly, the young people are nothing but disturbing persons.
They do not believe that the future is in safe hands with the young people (Miller 2008, p. 9). They tend to believe that the young people are going to ruin the future; they are not worth or capable of making good leaders. Additionally, the future leadership is in much trouble if left for the young people (Samaha 2005, p.58). However, after all this is said to the youths they start believing that they are worth nothing at all. These negative comments lead the young people into being quiet with them, and they withdraw from many things including the society. This, in turn, leads to boredom among the young people and what follows is they start joining gangs or are victims of crime or become petty offender because that is the only place they can get to feel free with themselves (Judah & Bryant 2004, p. 265).
However, crime prevention with, and for the youths, will be of much importance and help to the society (Miller 2008, p.9). This is because, the number of youth crimes reported will reduce and the number of young people engaging in crimes or petty offences will reduce too (Davies & Croall 2009, p.568). This is due to the education and concern they will get from the elderly people and by this; they are able to make wise decisions and choices that concern their lives (Tom 2006, p.68).
However, for the government or society to reduce youth crime, it must consider its risk factors. In many countries, one of the risk factors include; substance use. Drugs influence the way once body should work; it interferes with the nervous system of the body and by this, the users are not able to think and act straight. This has led so many young people into engaging themselves with wrong things such as crimes and awkward behaviors and by this; many of them end up accused as crime perpetuators. However, by the government and society working towards the eradication of these kinds of drugs, then the future of the young people can pose to be bright at all times (Rainer 2006).
Additionally, early school leaving has brought about many school dropouts, and by this, they are unable to secure themselves a good job. However, this increases the number of petty offenders and victimized young people. This is because, many of them engage in activities that are not acceptable by the society and by this, they are highly to be accused of crimes they did not do. Most early school leavers do not have skills to think critically or to think about the consequences, and by this, they end up doing things unpleasant to many people and the government and by this, they find themselves on the wrong side of the law. On the contrary, the male gender carries out many youth crimes (Doerner 2011, p.4).
The male gender is a stronger sex compared to the female gender (Samaha 2005, p.58). On the other hand, boys are more likely to commit offences than girls are. This is because, in early ages many young boys have very difficult temperament to deal with and by this they are prone of committing petty crimes or even more serious ones when they grow up (Schmalleger 2013, p. 752). However, in the researches conducted in different countries show that boys with difficult temperament are likely to appear more time in the courts than the ones with an easier temperament (Judah & Bryant 2004, p. 265).
Additionally, lack of supervision among the young people makes them feel and think that they can do anything they think and feel without any consequences (Samaha 2006, p. 608). By this, many young people indulge themselves with bad behaviors and companies. However, if there is good supervision from the society and the government to the young people, then the number of young victims will rapidly reduce (Tom 2006, p.68). This is because, the young people are able to follow the correct footsteps and learn about the virtues of the society, what the society recommends and what it does not recommend, and by this, the future will be able to have good leadership skills.
Conclusion
The society is capable of helping the young people and reducing the number of victimized young people. However, they should stop criticizing the young people and start thinking on ways forward on how to help their young people. On the other hand, the governments should take an initiative in making sure that almost all the young people acquire the kind of knowledge that will help them. They should make sure that every young person has studied to the acceptable limit in the various societies.
However, the media should also take an initiative of encouraging the young people towards the right path. It should also try to find out the crime perpetuators instead of just posing the youths as the perpetuators; whereas, they are the victims. However, the young people should also take an initiative of helping themselves. They should at least try to follow good examples of people living good lives. They should also listen to their older generation when they give advice because this will help them in making future wise decisions.
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