causes of crime

Studying the causes of crime can help us greatly in the area of reducing crime in America. The American family is directly related to social problems in society. A direct link between children being born into single family homes and poverty is evident. Those children then grow up with a likelihood of becoming dependent on welfare themselves. A few things to consider when asking the question how criminals come to commit crime, one consideration is that during the past 30 years the increase of crime parallels the increased number of families with absent fathers. High crime neighborhoods have a common denominator of absent fathers. Interestingly enough the rate of violent teenage crime also corresponds with the number of families abandoned by their fathers. A child that is rejected by other children in early childhood and then forms his own group is often the future delinquent.
On the other hand, neighborhoods with a higher level of religious practice are less likely to be high crime neighborhoods. Taking a look at high crime areas in the inner cities over 90 % of the children that come from stable secure homes do not go on to become delinquent. In contrast only 10 % from unstable homes are able to avoid the criminal lifestyle. The mother’s attachment to her child along with the father’s strong authority and involvement can be the best buffer between the child and crime. Data suggests that crime is not on the rise during times of economic struggle but on the rise during economic growth. During the time of the great depression crime dropped right along with economic stability. Another example is the Chinese in San Francisco in the 1960s they were the poorest subculture with average income around 4,000 dollars a year but had the lowest crime rate.
Some assume that race can be blamed for criminal activity being on the rise, not true. Upon taking a harder look, the common denominator is in fact good family structure. Illegitimacy is a key factor not dependent on the race. Kevin Wright, a professor of criminal justice at the University of New York at Binghamton writes: “Research confirms that children raised in supportive, affectionate, and accepting homes are less likely to become deviant. Children rejected by parents are the most likely to become delinquent.”
Being a single mother means getting less support in critical times such as childbirth and early developmental years when children’s needs demand a great deal from the mother. This can lead to less emotional attachment to the child even resentment towards the child for all the extra responsibilities that mother must take on. The lack of parental attachment in turn leads to the child having diminished ability to form bonds and have empathy for others. Empathy is one emotion that may prevent a criminal act from ever taking place. I care for others, therefore, I don’t want to harm them or take what they have worked hard for. Absence of a father also increases the chance of the mother being to hard on the child. So many young people have detached broken homes and parents, the implications are disturbing.
In a healthy family situation the simple presence of the father can evoke obedience, he is the authority and especially for our young men. Young boys abandoned by their fathers have many issues lack of personal security and self worth to name a few. The rates of emotional and behavioral problems are more than double in step families.
Monitoring young children’s behavior is key, clearly state what the rules are and punish deviance immediately, supervision and structure are necessary to produce good members of society. Rejection as a child can set the stage for criminal behavior, the family is the child’s first little community and to be rejected from can be devastating. Child abuse is huge in relating to criminal behavior the rates are astounding, when studying the arrest records and official records on child abuse the percent is around 14 to 26 %. But this percent triples to 50 to 70 % when the delinquents were interviewed and reported the abuse. Having criminal parents obviously predispositions young people to crime as well.
Knowing some of the information that has been presented, what can society do as a whole to reduce crime in America? Well the answer seems very clear to me. I think the family unit is the key, and our youth is the only place to start. But my solution presents a whole different problem in dealing with the criminal behavior in the adults who are raising our youth. The most important thing a child can witness growing up is marital commitment. Then a relationship of love between the two parents and toward the child accompanied with good supervision. Proper socialization of the child and the ability to relate to his peers must be provided, then strong neighborhoods and community support. We need to emphasize the importance of bringing children into the world in stable loving family environments. The traditional family has all the ingredients to lower future crime rates, but how to make the traditional family popular again is another thing.
A great example of turnaround is the reverend Lee Earl started a church in a horrible neighborhood in Detroit. The people who lived there were prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers and so on., Over the next decade with the church involvement in the community those same people started businesses and bought homes and married. That suggests to me that religious influence is also a strong weapon in reducing crime.