The Causes of Crime with Special Emphasis on Social and Psychological Factors - Essay Example

This report presents an overview of the causes of crime with special emphasis on social and psychological factors which lead to criminal tendencies. Further the report discusses the magnitude of crime, patterns, as well as how different crimes are manifested. The effects of crime are also described although not in depth. The report concludes by recommending different approaches to solving the crime such as preventive aimed at addressing the root causes as well as the call for more research on the issue. 1. Introduction In the US alone, it is approximated that, over 300,000 deaths per yearly are attributable to crime. The situation is resoundingly similar in other countries of Africa as well as in Latin America. To measure crime several indicators such as homicide prevalence, reported injury rates, as well as the size of county's security apparatus. As a matter of fact, crime rates have been on the rise in many parts of the world and the causes are as varied as the countries themselves. While prominence has been given to some crimes such as Terrorism, this contributes to only a very small percentage of the total crimes committed in any part of the world. It is perhaps due to the much media attention attached to terrorism that has amplified the reporting on the crime hence making it look uglier and more prominent than other types such as theft, robbery. In terms of causes, there are many causes of crime and most are determined by the nature of crime. For instance, terrorism can be attributed to religious zeal as well as the endeavor to free a group of people from some perceived oppression. Crime disproportionately causes civil strife as well as the suffering of many including children and women. This sad but real state of affairs calls for efforts geared towards first understanding the causes of crime and secondly undertaking the necessary steps to deal with the causes. There is a dimension, in fact a positive correlation between crime and underdevelopment. Underdevelopment in this case does not mean the absence of technology but it is used to imply the slow progress of a people due to impediments such as insecurity lack of empowerment as well as well as lack of support from the government. Other effects include the loss of or diminishing of GDP which in turn leads to the under provision of basic services, such education and health care. According to World Health Organization's, as at 2002 homicide was approximated to be affecting almost 100 people in every 100,000 people in the population in a study of the Region of the Americas. Spatial dimension of crime. Crime prevalence in urban areas is different from those in rural settings. While crime in most urban settings tends to be associated with social problems such as high poverty rates and high rate of family break ups in non highly urbanized areas, it can be attributed to purely low income rates. Other ways in which crime is manifested includes: homicides, robberies, kidnappings, muggings, assaults, domestic violence, sexual violence, violence against children and the elderly, as well as terrorist activities. Socio economic dimension. The social economic aspect has a bearing on how different people experience crime. He further adds that, age of offenders can be useful in providing explanations for patterns of crime. It has been observed, that, low income earners are more prone to crimes such as homicides as well as physical injuries. On the other hand high income earners are more likely to suffer from crimes such as property related crime In a study in Colombia, it was observed that the poor were more likely to suffer from domestic related crime as opposed to high income earners who mainly faced property crime ,this was mainly attributed to the fact that (Gaviria and Velez ,2001). Homicide deaths have been criticized for failing to take in to account deaths or injuries related to car accidents as analysts treat it still crime related while it may not be the case. Crime is defined as an act committed by a person that is punishable by law of a given country. Further crime is divided into non-violent type of crime as well as a type of crime that is non-criminal violence. In US alone, 88% of the total population has at least come face to face with one kind of crime. This translated into economic terms indicates that, at least a good amount of the national budget is dedicated to meeting costs associated with crime damage. Taken against the national GDP what it indicates is that, the government is spending a good amount of the money it could be spending assisting its citizens on other issues of importance are being is channeled to crime related activities. Crime and Minors. Over 6 million minors all over the world die as a direct result of injuries caused by their guardians. In the US alone over 1 million minors have experienced one kind of crime meted up on them by either parents or guardians or by an adult at least once in their life time. Crime and development. It is approximated that, crime rate is one of the key indicator which investor consider before investing any part of the world. Usually if any investment ends up happening the cost of production goes up to such extents that, the final market prices for the commodities is high something again which leads to negative effect on the very poor who in the first place are so vulnerable to crime. Cost of crime. Those who advocate for the view of crime from an economical stand point argue that, crime has been responsible for the demise of many countries as well as the suffering and death of innocent people land children. Looked at from their angle the crime affects people in that, corrupt government officials engage in organized crime where public money is embezzled and therefore majority suffer. Responses to Crime The threat of terrorism has become real since the 9/11 attacks in the US. The government as well as the international community has joined efforts in order to combat the ever present terror attacks mainly targeting America. Although there have not been other terrorist attacks in the US soil since the 9/11 attacks, the fact that, terrorists continue to threaten and in fact other US interests outside the US remains as clear pointer to the fact that, terrorism is a real threat to the US and therefore warrants measures against protecting every American's right to fundamental freedoms guaranteed under law. Terrorist activities recently targeting the US allies and foreign interests include attacks in Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen and Tunisia. The above calls for tough and effective anti terrorism laws to curb the evil. It is against that background that, US has taken considerable measures to combat the evil both domestically and internationally. For the purpose of this, paper, attention will be given to domestic measures aimed at curbing terrorism and only touch a little bit on international terrorism. International measures have included the capacity building programs being initiated by the US in its allies by giving incentives such as training military on the effective military combats styles as well as increasing of satellite surveillance as well as use of communication technology to track and disrupt the activities of the terrorist and carry out preemptive attacks on their bases if suspected to be planning and attack (Abuza, Zachary,2005). On top of that, according to , combating terrorist requires a coordinated activity. The first step involves the use of al means in order to deny the terrorists the chance of committing the crime in other words decapacitating them, this is possible through number of ways which include, cutting arms supply, denying terrorists access to arms and other weaponry which would be harmful if left in the reach of the terrorists and improved security checks in all vulnerable areas such as airports all aimed at lessening the probability of terrorists successfully attacking the US. One can not forget the role on good governance for in some cases the activities of terrorism have happen just because a government official serving in a major security installation such as in the airports or immigration department s failed to execute their duties properly (Acquaviva, Mike, 1989) The US has in measure aimed at improving its home security passed several antiterrorism bills all of which have in one way or another contributed to the interruption of terrorist activities therefore lessening the chances of terrorist attacks in the US. In a bid to protect its citizens and sovereignty America enforced many measures including military operations in places deemed to harbor terrorist activities or are at least sympathetic to terrorist activities. The constitution of America empowers the president through congress to intervene in cases where the country comes under security threat using all means under his/her discretion. It is against this back ground that, the US has taken measures which not all agree to have nevertheless helped to reduce the incidence of attacks. Such measures have included the empowerment of all security institutions such as the FBI and the CIA, to play a bigger role in the hunt and elimination of terrorists and their activities, increasing military expenditure as well as security budget to facilitate programs aimed at combating terrorism. Other activities have included the passing of laws aimed at confiscating property suspected to originate or be ended to terrorist cells or allies. Other key measures aimed at combating the crime involve the passing a bill which empowers key security agencies to intercept communications deemed suspicious and likely to enhance terrorist activities. Other measure have include the coding of the US security levels to also alert the people of America when ever a threat of attacks is deemed inevitable as well as when it is considered relatively safe. Also the US has introduced the concept of travel advisories which although they do not apply domestically are key in protecting the Americans against the thereat of attacks. Other than the methods used, it does not occur there were other alternatives since, the present measures have succeeded in making the US a better place. It is notable that, there has been numerous attempts by the terrorists groups to hit US again possibly to commemorate the September 11 attacks but all have been thwarted or intercepted and if they happen it has been in a small magnitude. Although critiques have argued that, the measures taken by US has increased anti-Americanism especially form Islamic countries, the fact is that, the terrorist are determined to attack US and considers such as achievements. This calls for no less than radical measures aimed at maintaining the security of Americans. In the fight against terrorism, the US has not been alone for it has received all manner of support from its key ally Britain as well as from the UN which helped pass some of the international amendments aimed at curbing the threat and danger of terrorism (Abuza, Zachary,2003). In all regions of the work the US has key partners' and allies who allow it to operate form the solids in the endeavor to reduce the efficiency of the terrorist. From Africa to Asia, and Far East, the US collaborates with key countries through sharing of intelligence, use of countries facilities, to launch activities as well passing anti-terrorism legislations which are deemed crucial in deterring terrorists. On the other hand the US benefits form these ties in that the countries can arrest suspects wanted in connection with terrorism and them to US for interrogation and trial especially those wanted in connection to the September attacks. Just like all other well intentioned struggles, the combat against domestic terrorism will need the right environment in order to be successful as well as to achieve is objectives. In a nutshell the following are the most immediate needs and changes which may result into a fight with a well guided mission and vision, one which will meet the expectations of the people of America. Firstly, the issue of good PR will need to be emphasized a lot and it needs to be highlighted in all departments and institutions dealing with terrorism. Although the US military has done much efforts to meet this, goal, it is has not been sustained and maintained in that, some organs of the government seem to be comfortable with the progress so far. Far form the truth, there is need to ensure that, every move from the government aimed at countering the threats of terrorism as well as all others aimed at influencing major international partners as well as world bodies such as the UN are not misrepresented or misinterpreted by the public. Against the background of the Iraq war which has resulted into enormous life losses to the Americans, it is easy for people to lose the zeal for the fight and start opposing it. This happens due to poor communication as well as poor PR skills. Therefore the role of communication and PR in this war against domestic terrorism needs to be speeded up in order to ensure that; throughout all campaigns the government has the blessing of the masses. The other challenge in the combat against domestic tourism comes in the form of opposition to legislations or bills aimed at solving the problem of terrorism. When ever a senator or any member of the congress brings up a motion on terrorism fighting, there is a need for all the congress men to put aside all their political ideological differences to back such law because its touches the whole American society. Lastly, the challenge of people withholding crucial information from the law enforcement agents is a matter of grave concern. Usually, terrorists live among the people that they plan to attack. In that case, those who live near the terrorists and shield them from the law enforcer are obliviously on the wrong. The public should be more involved and actually share any crucial information with the police. By hunting down for terrorist in the mountains, jungles and seas, by attacking those who collaborated with the terrorist to attack it, the act of the US in regard to terrorism can not be regarded to as being overreaction. Simply put, there was no other way of doing it, the US had lost close to $100 billion in terms of economic damages as a result of terrorists activities of the recent past. Against such a background, the activities and efforts of the US to combat domestic tourism can be termed only as fair and justified for failure to act would and can lead to further attack hence more losses. This can also significantly affect the world order as the US is looked up on by many vulnerable countries to offer protection in cases of external aggression on their sovereignty as it did in the case o Kuwait. Role of capital Punishment in crime prevention The criminal justice system has been in place for as long as human kind existed albeit in different forms. Over the centuries, different kinds of justice systems have been practiced in different parts of the world from capital punishment, to corporal punishments such as flogging, and public execution. Until modern times, the justice system can be said to have been particularly cruel to the offenders by denying them their rights. Capital punishment has generated a debate on its morality and effectiveness. Origin of capital punishment. Evidence of capital punishment suggests that, this form of punishment has been in existence for as long as mankind existed. In fact it seems from a literature review that, it was a very popular method in the ancient time. One of the greatest challenges facing the criminal justice system today is to strike appropriate balance between the rights of capital offences victims and those of capital offenders. Moralists argue that, capital offenders should be treated with the dignity they deserve bearing in mind their fundamental human rights. On the other hand proponents of capital punishment argue that it is an effective way of paying back an equal measure of what the offender inflicted on their victims. A right is defined as a duty or responsibility entitled to an individual by the state (Wolfgang, 102). There is a need for a balance between capital offenders' rights and their victims' rights. The justice system has in some cases been accused of leaning too much on the side of the victims of capital crimes therefore denying the victim the right to be treated as not guilty until proven guilty before a fair and public trial in a court of law. Any justice system must be structured to meet the needs of both offenders and victims (Wolfgang, 90). It can be argued that the victim's and offender's rights are related but in an inverse manner. Opponents of capital punishment. Utilitarian Theory. The view holds that, punishment should be applied only for purposes of deterring crime reoccurrence. Utilitarianism proposes life imprisonment as a substitute for capital punishment. However opponents of the theory question the benefits of keeping an offender in prison for life while consuming taxpayer's money. Opponents view it as a 'too costly' alternative of capital punishment. Restorative justice theory. Proponents of restorative theory advocates for punishment of offenders though it opposes imprisonment. Restitution and community services are the commonest types of penalties advocated for by restorative theorists. It is aimed at re-socialising offenders. In view of striking a balance between offender's rights and victim's rights, restorative justice can be of much help for it seeks to up hold both the victim's and offender's rights while benefiting the society but there are those opposed to it terming it as too lenient. This theory is seen as an alternative to capital punishment. Proponents of capital punishment. Retributive justice theory. Popularly known as the 'eye for an eye' method, it assumes that a victim has a right to 'hit back'. This justice system calls capital punishment. In view of human rights advocates, a retributive justice system is considered unfair to the offender in that it does not accord a second chance for reforming. This theory also holds that, criminals deserve to be punished for their mistakes and secondly their punishment should be proportional to the crime committed. This can be achieved by awarding victim's fair compensation or the infliction of the same pain as inflicted on the victim by the offenders. They also argue that capital punishment actually saves innocent lives which would be lost were the offenders to be let free. This theory has been critiqued for not being wholly applicable since its adoption would cause human beings to live in distrust forever after. It has also been criticized for being inflexible and accommodative to offenders' rights to life. Gender/race and capital punishment There are many instances all over the world where by, the justice system and especially the police treat suspects like offenders even before they appear before the courts. Research has shown that, in societies prone to racism and ethnicity, race and ethnic backgrounds play a big role in deciding who is held for suspected capital offences. For instance there have been media reports that Muslims in the west are more screened in the fight against terrorism than any other group. The police in such justice systems are often vindictive to suspects and offenders. In gendered societies, gender also plays a big role in capital crimes in that, one gender is likely to be affected by the crime as either the victims or offenders and vice-versa. There is a need for justice systems to lay an all equal policy while dealing with victims to ensure that no one is denied justice because of their position in the society or their social, financial, political or other orientations. Proponents of capital punishment argue that that in as much as offenders are entitled to their rights, the victims too are entitled to theirs and therefore only capital punishment is a match for capital offences. Other reasons advanced for abolishment of capital punishment are that, it is inhumane and undignified kind of punishment. Opponents of capital punishment on the other hand argued that capital punishment is unfair in that the poor facing capital charges are not able to afford good lawyers and therefore are likely to be underrepresented. On top of that, statistics available shows capital offenders are more likely to come from ethnic minority communities and marginalized communities. This in turn they argue could have a bearing on the reason they involve in crime in the first place. Such explanations are given as poverty, deprivation or psychological problems. The question of the morality and justification of capital punishment is still debatable. However, the circumstances warranting the punishment seem to dominate the debate. The kind of justice system practiced in a country plays an important role while determining whether a country administers capital punishment or not. However capital punishments are more prevalent in developing world than in the developed countries. Solutions/Alternatives to capital punishment Corrective Programs. These vary from place to place. Their role in the justice system is to offer programs aimed at rehabilitating capital offenders therefore affording offenders an opportunity to reform. Rights of capital crime victims: Counseling centers for victims especially those who face psychological depression as a result of the nature of crime committed against them. Some times victims are haunted by the crime for the rest of their lives therefore fundamentally affecting their way of life. The effects sometimes may lead to conditions such as depressions. These require medical treatment hence costing the victim time and money. Therefore any justice system should incorporate counseling as well as other support services in their programmes aimed at addressing the needs of capital crime victims. The right to information on the proceedings of cases affecting the victim. Victims have a right to be updated on the progress of cases; on the other hand, they should be briefed properly on the course of action to take in regard to the outcome of the case. The victim's right to privacy. Special care should be observed to make sure that victims are not laid bare or exposed to further harm. Additionally, no personal information about a victim may be released for public consumption unless so authorized by the victim. Failure to observe privacy has been a traumatizing experience to victims of capital crimes. The right to compensation of the victim. In cases where damage has been inflicted to the victim or his/her property, justice systems need to have a provision for compensation. This has not been the case in many justice systems. There have been many cases of victims being awarded compensation by courts only for them to fail to get the compensation awarded. The right to protection from further harm by the offender. The justice system is mandated to ensure that care is taken through measures such as informing the victim or heirs when an offender is released so as to protect the victim from suffering damage from the offender. Justice systems have in many occasions failed to live up to their duty. This violates the rights of the victim and leaves a victim vulnerable to intimidation or other form of crime once the offenders are released. The right to be treated fairly during the proceedings of the case. It is the right of a victim to be treated with respect and in a manner befitting a human being. The challenge in ensuring justice system offers victim's and offender's rights lies in the realization that although the law may allow law enforcers a wide range of freedom , there is a need to ensure that the entire trial of capital offenders is humane. Rights of capital offenders. In most justice systems the focus is turned on capital offenders and they are usually mistreated and viewed with suspicion by the society. There is a need for the wider public to appreciate rights of capital offenders. More awareness of the rights of offenders will curb violation of human rights as well as assist in the rehabilitation process. The following are some general rights of capital offenders: Right to privacy. Right to channel grievances and complaints and seek legal redress. Right to access legal assistance from the government agencies for their defense. Right to correctional treatment administered in a professional manner. Right to protection from harm by victims. Right to good and health living conditions in the jails and prisons. The answer to crime prevention lies in the adoption of modern technology as well as professional practice on the part of the justice system. In most cases, anomalies in the justice system are as a result to capital punishment which were not warranted in the first place. There is also a need of standardized international standpoints on the application of the capital punishment. More research in this area is needed in order to address the offenders' side of the story as well as the victim's side of the story. 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