Many studies suggest that low wages or salaries and unemployment make less-educated individuals more likely turn into criminal activities. Legislations can put more policemen in the streets, formulate harsh sentencing laws, and take steps that will reduce crime, but there are limits how these policies can help in crime prevention.
Various crime statistics in U.S. suggest that levels of school attendance, academic achievement, graduation rates and enrollment rates play an important role in the involvement of school going children in the criminal justice system. A research that was carried out from 2000 to 2006 indicate that the level of education among students in America can have an impact on the employment opportunities for future work or employment. For example in Australia, between the 1979 and 1985, there was overall increase in educational inequality. This educational inequality was associated with conviction rates for some, but not all, offences. Places with experience higher level of violent crime, these places experienced higher level of educational inequality. Additionally, there was a correlation between racially motivated crimes and educational inequality. According to Becker (1968), there is a strong correlation between violent crime and poverty. In addition, In learning institution (such as primary schools or elementary schools) where there is worse teacher-to-pupil ratio, conviction rates for criminal activities, while conviction rates for racially motivated offences were lower.
“Although students in the U.S. have experienced improved economic prosperity and quality of life in the past years, these improvements have not spread to all citizens” (Hirsch 24). According to Becker (1968), income of the top one percent of the American citizens has seen improvement than that of the bottom ten percent since 1990. The poorest students (10 percent-20 percent of the American population) continue to leave high school without any qualifications, and this group of population is found to possess poor basic skills that are needed in the job market. It has also been found that a poor person or individual is more likely to live in unpopular and unsafe places where criminal activities are rampant.
Different theories suggest that there is a correlation between educational inequality and criminal activities. All these theories suggests one thing, relative income among the poorest people’s income will have an impact on a persons’ decision to enter into criminal activities, and this will be contribute by largely on individuals ability to generated income from legitimate or illegitimate ways or activities. In otherwise, the probability of an individual who lacks basic skills or education to generate income from illegitimate ways or activities rather than legitimate ways is higher (Becker 22).
Researchers have found that groups that have been deprived by class or income, or social disorganization and a lack of upward mobility, will contribute to higher level of crimes. Agnew (1992), argue that crime is caused by strain that a person face throughout life, and this can be contributed to the degree of educational inequality in society. In conclusion, frustration among the poor in an unequal community will drive poor people to crime to get what they can’t afford.
Works Cited
Agnew, Robert. “Foundation for a general strain theory of crime and delinquency.” Criminology (1992): 47–87. Print.
Becker, George. “Crime and punishment: An economic approach.” Journal of Political Economy (1968): 169–217,. Print.
Hirsch, David. Strategies Against Poverty: A shared road map. York, UK: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2004. Print.