Crime & Punishment

Q11) What are the root causes of criminal behavior and how may a society best deal with them?

There are a wide range of causes for criminal behavior, which includes greed, poverty, drug addiction and lack of education. However, education plays the main role of affecting how individuals may behave when they are adults. Education equips individuals with skills and knowledge that are fundamental for their survival in society. This is due to the fact that employers would much prefer workers with relevant skills and knowledge. Thus, many of the uneducated may find themselves unemployed. As a result, they live in destitute conditions. As they become poorer, they would be enticed to participate in criminal activities. Further more, every person has unlimited wants, resulting in their greediness. When people are dissatisfied with what they have which is actually enough, they strive to acquire more, even to the extent of breaking the laws to do so. It is like a teenager, who has an average life, attempts to satisfy his desires like buying ipod, or high-technology computers. When his parents refuse to help him do so, he may probably rob a bank with his accomplices to acquire enough money to buy what he wants. So, even if one lives a life of average standard, he or she may be driven by greed and commit crimes in an attempt to satisfy their desires. People who consume drugs can get very addicted to them and seldom can drug addicts quit their addictions without help. Even with help, drug addicts may not necessarily have the determination to do so. Since drugs are regularly sold at a high price, these people often turn to crimes to gain the money necessary to buy the drugs as a result of being incapable to quit their addictions.

Countries should try their best to provide education to as many children as possible. If children do not go to schools, they would roam the streets where they are exposed to criminal activities. As time goes on, they would also commit minor offences like shoplifting and vandalism, eventually they will advance on to more serious crimes like drug trafficking or even murder. Otherwise, the society can set up private institutions, for children to attend. At the very least, children will be preoccupied with some matters instead of being so free that roaming the streets become their daily routine. Since drug addiction is part of the causes, it would be best for governments to also educate children on the harmful effects of drugs, deterring them from touching drugs, indirectly lowering the crime rates. The society can also help by condemning drugs and discouraging the usage of drugs. Greediness in people cannot be eliminated. However, individuals can be induced with the right moral values, such that their greediness will not drive them to do things that have dire consequences or are against their consciences, like breaking the laws.