Why People Commit Crime Free Essays

Criminal behavior has always been a focus for psychologist due to the age old debate between nature and nurture. Is it the responsibility of an individual’s genetic makeup that makes them a criminal, or is it the environment in which they are raised that determines their outcome? Research was conducted regarding this which resulted in a conclusion that genes, environment, and society do play a role in the criminality of individuals. Criminal justice teaches about the different reasons why criminal choose to do criminal acts. We will write a custom essay sample on Why People Commit Crime or any similar topic only for you Order Now Criminals have different background that mold them into criminal behavior weather it is DNA related, environment, or the ways of society. There are various reasons why criminal choose to do criminal acts. One reason why people commit crime is because they want to. This can be classified as an individual making a poor choice in life. It also can be the result of the environment he or she surrounds their self with. The old saying is ‘‘You are who you hang around’’. Which is very true criminals tend to hang around other criminals.A lot of times criminals are brought up in very high crime areas where they tend to get involved in criminal activity because that is all they see so they adjust to that way of life. DNA or also known as generation cruse can play a factor in an upcoming future criminal. Many times you see a trend in generation if your parents were on drugs most likely you will be on drugs. Or if your father was in the prison system there is a good chance there off spring would end up in prison. Society is a reason why many criminal choose to commit criminal acts.Some crimes are caused by poverty and inequality. Both rich and poor people commit crimes, but crime rates tend to be higher in poorer communities, especially those located in inner cities. One explanation, known as ‘’strain theory,’’ can explain this. In most places, people generally work to earn money so they can afford a comfortable lifestyle. People with high-paying jobs can buy a nice house, a car, and good clothes, and so there is less pressure on them to find other ways of getting those things.According to strain theory, poorer people cannot afford the house, car and nice clothing, can react in several ways. Some may try to achieve these goals through hard work. Others may decide to forget these goals as an impossible dream, and aim simply to enjoy a reasonable standard of living. People who make these choices will not turn to crime. Other reactions though are likely to lead people to commit crime. Some people wish to achieve these goals, but feel they cannot do so legally. So, they find other ways. They may steal from their job, or turn to gambling, prostitution, or theft. How to cite Why People Commit Crime, Essays Why People Commit Crime Free Essays Tyler Hertz CRJ 308 10. 28. 2012 Why People Commit Crime How do people define crime? Some might define crime as an act of offence towards the morality of humans. We will write a custom essay sample on Why People Commit Crime or any similar topic only for you Order Now Others might regard crime as an act that harms the universal human rights. In my perspectives, I think that crime is an offence made towards the law. Therefore, why do people still commit crimes? There are many reasons why people may commit crimes and it depends on the type of person they are. Many people will commit a crime everyday whether it be speeding, J-walking, or in some cases, theft and murder. Some crimes are easy to commit and that’s why I think people commit them. I also, refer to the Routine Activities theory. This theory, I believe, does a great job on explaining why people commit most crimes. It says that in order for a crime to be committed three things must have to occur and those being; a motivated offender, lack of a capable guardian, and suitable target. Why I think this does a good job in explain why people commit a crime is because it goes into detail about all aspects that involve a crime taking place. Take speeding for example, a person who is in a hurry will speed; this makes them the motivated offender. Next, for this crime to take place there must be a suitable target and this could be any road that is not congested by traffic. Last, we have the lack of a capable guardian and this is an obvious one, it would be not visible Law Enforcement officers on the highway. If all these are possible a person can and most likely will speed. Speeding is not really considered by most to be a really crime but, more of a criminal act. I just wanted to show how that theory can explain most types of crimes and it will work even for other crimes. I believe there is a huge difference between a crime and a criminal act. I believe a crime to be something that causes harm to others. Speeding, although can, does not usually cause any harm to others, this is what I consider a criminal act. A crime would be something like assault or theft. Theft does not cause physical harm but, finaical and emotional harm to the victims. Why do people do it? Another reason I believe people commit crimes is because of greed. Greed is the wanting to lead a luxurious life or even to own something that is beyond one’s financial budget. For example, a person of moderate income would like to own an expensive plasma television which the price is beyond his budget. However, his greed prompts him to own that item by either stealing money to purchase it or to steal the item itself. When the person gets caught by any law enforcer, the person will be charged in court for committing a crime. To steal to fulfill one’s desire to own an item which one understands that it is beyond his financial budget is committing a crime by the cause of greed. This, in my view, shows that people commit crimes for selfish reason. In conclusion, I believe that most people will commit a crime either because they can and it is easy or because they have the selfish vision of living a life they cannot afford to live so they will do anything they can to achieve it, even if that means breaking the law and causing harm to others. How to cite Why People Commit Crime, Essay examples