Introduction
The study of the possible causes of crime can be traced from 3700 years before Christ were the Babylonians tried to explain the reasons that motivated people to commit crimes (Fitzgerald, 2001). Later, in the early 18th century, European missionaries and colonialists are recorded to have stated that crime and sins as per their religious orientation are the same things (Fitzgerald, 2001).
The development of man over the centuries and the sophistication in the way he lives has influenced the crime trends, which have also evolved alongside man. Criminologists have identified the possible factors that can be attributed to criminal activities.
This paper aims at identifying the underlying causes of crime. After these causes are identified, the paper will examine whether studying crime can help in its alleviation. Besides this, the paper will seek to effectively relate the causes of crime in America and see how economic, social, psychological, and finally biological factors influence rational actors to cause crime. Finally, the paper will relate the causes of crime with a classical theory that advocates for free will.
Definition of crime
Crime has been defined differently by different definitions. However, all definitions go to the bottom line that for crime to occur, an act that was not meant to occur occurs. The lexical definition of crime defines it as any act or failure to act as one is obliged. This failure to act constitutes an offense if it hurts directly or indirectly any interested party. This offense can be punished in a state using the state’s statutory regulations. Crime can be defined using the legal fraternity dictionary as the absolute violation of the laws of a country. This violation results in hurting the public or an individual and thus is punishable as per the stipulated laws.
Causes of crime
Knowledge about a crime is of great essence as it can help in establishing the possible means through which crime can be eliminated. It is also important that the global crime rates are understood so that the trends in the United States of America are matched with those in other parts of the world. This benchmarking is important in ensuring that various motivators of crime are identified.
Factors that cause crime
Biological factors such as a physical structure of an individual play a key role in determining whether a person commits a certain crime or not. For instance, being a male person is a predisposing factor that influences a person to commit an offense such as wife battering, assault among others (Newman & Rothberg, 2002). On the other hand, some crimes such as prostitution are more likely to be associated with women.
Crime may be motivated by greed, anger, jealousy, revenge, and at times, arrogance from the offenders. Kender (2001) notes that some people commit a crime with one sole aim, to hurt the other party. Such people get a psychological reward in inflicting pain and suffering on other people. Crimes motivated by psychic disorders are carefully planned to reduce the chances of being caught while executing the crime. People who commit this category of crime are always conscious of their behavior, but the urge to satisfy their urge overtakes their consciousness. It gives them the pleasure to feel in control and this adrenaline rush pushes them to commit a crime. This can be done out of rage when one is angry and needs to release their anger through their victims. To others, it is the fear of being seen as powerless. Some people may feel powerless and insecure, and the only way to ensure that they are safe is by committing an offense (Schmalleger, 2009).
Another factor that has been connected to the increase in crime rates is fundamentalism. One of the most notorious fundamentalisms is the one associated with Islamic terrorism that originates from hardliner Islamists. Islamic fundamentalism has contributed to the committing of horrendous crimes against humanity such as the 11th of September attack. Fundamentalism is the motivating factor of some of the serial killing’s mysteries in the country (Schmalleger, 2009).
Crime can also be motivated by social factors such as abuse. Children who are brought up in abusive families may tend to embrace criminal activities especially. Thus, has been associated with psychological effects where children from such families lack psychological satisfaction and may develop an inferiority complex. This may later become detrimental to such children as it may lure them into crime. The social environment, both at home and in neighborhoods can lure someone into criminal activities. The perceived government neglect also contributes to the execution of crime as people may express their discontentment through criminal activities.
People commit crimes for monetary or material gain. Crime committed for monetary gain is classified as economic or property crime and may include burglaries, robberies, and white-collar crimes like fraud. These crimes are committed with the main intention of having some material gain. Violent crimes like murder and rape are instigated by the desire to control. Some crimes in this category are motivated by impulse and are not premeditated by the offender. For instance, manslaughter is a crime that occurs due to a rash reaction whereby the person kills without a prior plan to kill. Economic crimes are committed due to perceived government neglect, poverty, greed, or motivation from organized gangs.
Criminology and Crime
Criminologists have established that punishing criminals and putting crime mitigating measures in place reduces the number of crimes. This is because a punishment like the death penalty makes people who desire to kill think twice. Fines in monetary terms can also deter potential criminals from engaging in criminal activities. Imprisonment also deters crime by putting criminals in correctional facilities that guarantee that they are kept from society. This seclusion deters crime from two different angles, one, people may fear committing a crime due to avoid being put in prisons, and secondly, criminals are eliminated from society.
Crime Prevention
Crime preventive measures like proper lighting of streets and alleys in congested residences reduce the number of criminals who are willing to commit crime for fear of being seen committing an offense. Another measure is putting more police officers on patrol in crime volatile areas as their presence instills the essence of maintaining law and order (Fitzgerald, 2001).
Most of the committed crimes are motivated by economic factors. Therefore, economic factors can be used to ensure that that crime is prevented. Governments can opt to fund various enterprises that would provide more employment opportunities even to those people who do not advance in their studies.
Crime may be reduced by social factors such as educating the public on the negative effects of crime. Populations that are prone to crime should be socialized to adopt behavioral approaches that will deter criminal activities. Measures such as forums to ensure that children do not slip into juvenile delinquency can be effective social obstacles to engagement in criminal activities.
The Classical Theory
The theory postulates that people should always be guided by their own free will. People have the right to decide on what is the best thing to do. Human beings avoid anything that will inflict pain on them. This theory involves evaluating all the possible outcomes that will result from undertaking a certain action. The classical theory seeks to evade unreasoning and unconsciousness as the driving factors towards specific actions, but it stresses the importance of using rationale before doing anything (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 2005).
Conclusion
The paper has been able to establish the causes of crime and related the widespread rates in crime to the classical theory. The paper has also shown that understanding the causes of crime can help in formulating measures that can curb the vice. The presentation has also related the classical theory with the causes of crime.
References
Fitzgerald, M. (2001). Crime and society: readings in history and theory. London: Routledge.
Gottfredson, M., R &. Hirschi,.(2005). A general theory of crime. Chicago: Stanford University Press.
Kender, S. E. (2001). Crime in America. New York: H. W. Wilson Company.
Newman, J. & Rothberg, D. (2002).Crime in America: causes and cures. Washington: U.S. News & World Report.
Robinson, M. (2009). Justice Blind? Ideals and realities of American criminal justice: Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Schmalleger, F. (2009). Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the twenty-first century. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Siegel, L., J. (2011). Criminology. Connecticut: Cengage learning.