Almost half of the 83,000 people in prison ran away from home as a child and cannot read as well as an 11 year old. Almost 30 per cent have been through the care system and similar proportions were homeless before entering prison. Today’s prison population shows that an overwhelming majority of prisoners are the product of social breakdown. Prisoners are far more likely to have lived in poverty, to come from broken families, to be unemployed and in considerable debt and to be experiencing an addiction. Deprivation is an important factor that leads to crime. Poverty doesn’t cause crime but there is an obvious direct relationship between them.
Effects of deprivation can impact on individuals and make them more likely to become involved in crime. There is no single cause to crime as many factors can lead to it, but there are very significant factors that make the cause seem more likely such as poverty. Although there is no convincing explanation as to why most people that live in poverty don’t ever commit a crime it is definitely clear that the combinations of the effects of poverty in some people’s lives lead to crime. For example 67% of prisoners were unemployed prior to imprisonment compared to just 5% of the population. This is an exceptionally high number and obviously provides some form of a link.
I will entail to find out whether social deprivation and crime are linked and whether poverty is one of the main factors that lead to crime. I will also consider other factors such as age and race. There are many factors that lead to crime, however many of them may not be sufficient enough therefore I will establish what factors may be a more true link to crime.
Alcohol and drugs
Alcohol is one of the biggest factors leading to crime as “A third of all crimes are alcohol related crimes” “From approximately 10.30pm to 3.00am the majority of arrests are for alcohol-related offences.” Alcohol can affect a person’s judgement: this means that the effects of alcohol can induce crimes such as assault, violence, theft and driving under the influence. “(Home Office Minister Charles Clarke) Public drunkenness can give rise to serious problems of disorderly conduct, nuisance, criminal damage and alcohol-related assaults, particularly in the proximity of licensed premises at closing time. In addition, it can increase fear of crime and so reduce the quality of life for many people.” “Alcohol accounts for more crimes than drugs do. Crimes such as assault, rape and drink driving are all crimes to do with alcohol,” “Alcohol can lead to crimes because it is more affordable, there is an increase of alcohol consumption, and people can also consume more alcohol at home where you can’t measure the amount of alcohol you are consuming”
The effects of alcohol can increase someone’s likelihood to commit a crime because of the way it affects the individual. Alcohol can affect basic human functions but also affects behaviour and an individual may find that the substances will alter their judgement and mean that it is more likely for someone to commit an offence or a crime that they wouldn’t normally without the influence of alcohol. “In regard to the offences committed ‘Under the influence’, the implication is that they would either have not happened or would not have reached the level of seriousness that they actually did if the offender had been sober.” “The proportion of violent incidents where the victim believed the offender to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs, for all violence, 50% of victims believed the offender(s) perceived to be under the influence of alcohol)” “The type of behaviour experienced (Nature of behaviours experienced by those who perceive being drunk or rowdy to be a problem in their local area): 37% fighting within or between groups, 23% violence/people being assaulted by drunks and 22% drink-related theft or vandalism.” “Where you find drunkenness, you will find violence” –police officer Drugs can be related to crime in a multiple of different ways. Drug and alcohol related crime can also be in terms of an individual committing a crime in order to fund a drug habit. This could include such crimes as theft or prostitution. It is also a crime to use, possess, and partake in drug trafficking, manufacture or distribution of illegal drugs.
Drugs can also affect someone’s likelihood to commit crime because of the effects it has on the person while they are under the influence. Drug use can affect an individual’s speed, memory, alertness and reactions. Crimes related to drugs or alcohol may be the result of the effects that the substances have on their thought processes and behaviour which causes them to commit criminal activity.
Gender
Gender is clearly one of the major factors in the causes of crime as men commit far more crimes than women. “90% of those found guilty are men.” – the poverty site This may be because of the socialisation men receive when growing up. It is argued that men and women are socialised differently as children. Women are essentially expected to conform to norms and values that society impose on them: they are generally considered by society as the weaker and passive sex, labelled as a mother, a carer and are expected to be a conformist, deferential and diligent. Girls may be brought up to fear violence inflicted upon them whereas men are often socialised differently in that they are brought up to oppose it if threatened. Men are encouraged at a young age to be competitive, aggressive and sexually confident, to play rough, be natural leaders and to be assertive. Often men are expected to physically retaliate if threatened and all these socialisations can cause men’s behaviour to more associate with that of criminals. These expected traits can often lead to criminal offences such as breach of the peace or assault. It can often lead to men committing very different crimes to women due to their socialisation, especially committing violent crimes. Women tend to commit less violent crimes such as theft or drug possession “A significant amount of women in Cortonvale prison (Stirling, Scotland) are for minor offences and many have lots of previous convictions. A majority are offences are committed to get money for drugs.” – police officer “The majority of crimes committed by men are serious violent crime and organised crime” –police officer “Three times as many boys are found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences as girls.” Men can also be perceived to have more opportunities than women to commit crimes. This can also link back to socialisation as women tend to spend more time at home or hold more responsibilities such as the caring of children. Men tend to work all day and are less tied to responsibilities and in turn have more time to socialise. This exposes them to criminal activity and also gives men an
opportunity to commit criminal offences. Feminists claim that society is a patriarchy and that the law is controlled by men, therefore women are discriminated against in society. Feminists claim that if a women commits a crime they are seen as ‘doubly deviant’. This is the notion that women are expected by societyu to confrom to the norms and values even more than men. They are seen as ‘doubly deviant’ not only because the law is broken but also because society does not expect women to go against the norms and values in society. However, women committing crime is on the increase as there is a dramatic social change “a lot more people are single and do not have a tie to a domestic situation. The disposable income has a vastly bigger difference, alcohol consumption is higher- these are all contributing factors”- police officer “Women don’t tend to commit as much crimes as men as women have a more protective psychology make up. Women are still not seen as equal. Organised crime is run by men, as women are seen as not as capable of crime and therefore have less positions in the organisation. Women are also seen as ‘puppets in the sex industry” – police officer “Among girls, theft is by far the most likely crime to be committed, accounting for three-quarters of all crimes committed by girls. By contrast, although still the largest single category, theft accounts for just a third of the crimes committed by boys.” – the poverty site
Age
Age may link to crime as a significant number of crimes in England, Wales and Scotland are committed by under 25’s. “There is a 16-24 peak of offending and has been for a long time,” – police officer The types of crimes that younger people tend to commit are crimes of violence or anti-social crimes. Alcohol and drugs tend to be a major factor in younger peoples involvement with crimes and are the majority of their offences are associated with drug or alcohol use. Younger people may tend to commit crimes because “The peak rate for offending is at age 17, with rates being much lower from age 21 onwards and below the age of 15.” – the poverty site “45,000 people aged 18 to 20 were found guilty of indictable offence in 2009. This represents around 2% of the age group.”
Social Deprivation
Education
There is a definite link between education levels and crime as a good education is more likely to reduce post-school criminal activity. Education essentially provides the opportunity to learn and gain qualifications which, in turn, will help the finding of employment in the future. A decent and satisfactory education provides individuals with a higher income, to the extent that it is agreed that education increases income. A lack of an education may often lead to unemployment, or a low paid or part time job. This could result in an insufficient lack of money and, out of greed for luxuries instead of the basic necessities; an individual may find themselves being involved in criminal activity to gain material wealth to compensate for the lack of income coming into the household. Crime also requires time to commit, which those with legitimate employment have less of compared to those with no job. Crimes such as theft, burglargy and drug involvement significant time planning and time spent carrying out the activity. A lot of factors are involved in crime such as the planning, carrying out and avoiding detection and arrest. Crime also faces the consequences of rehabilitation, fines etc. which is more costly for those that have good employment and a good income and is less of a risk for those who are unemployed and without adequate qualifications.
Location
Location can be a significant factor leading to crime as significant areas tend to have a higher rate of crime than others. Crime tends to be committed in urban and highly populated areas because the population is constantly shifting and changing and anonymous to many others. Also, there is far less social control in an anonymous urban location due to… Social control may include societal and political norms and values which society follows and abides by, it also avoids the establishment of anomie. Anomie is a feeling of normlessness in which the individual or social group does not feel connected to societies norms and values. Often, highly populated areas tend to have a higher rate of immigrants, low income families and unemployed
individuals as well as families. These highly populated areas tend to be council estate areas and rented accommodation in which are usually considered to have less social control and tend to be more socially disorganised.. These areas also tend to have a higher rate of crime found in them. Location can be a main factor in determining rates of crime as where criminal activity is more visible, is also more accepted. There is not such a stigma attached to committing a crime, being convicted and facing the consequences in an area where crime tends to be more visible and a higher turnover of people have committed some form of criminal offence. “Crime is more present in larger cities as major crimes such as the sex industry can be found” – police officer
(http://maps.met.police.uk/)
Homelessness
Homelessness can link to crime because many of homeless people, living on the streets, squatting or without a home may be more exposed to criminal and deviant behaviour. Homelessness may also link to crime because they may use crime as a way to avoid being homeless, for example reciving food and shelter in prison to avoid being out on the streets. Homelessness may also link to crime as people may commit crime in response to the stress of homeless living. This may include possession of illicit drugs and minor crimes of violence. “To alleviate the stress of a chaotic and uncertain lifestyle, and with little access to medical help, homeless people seek refuge in drugs.” Crime with homelessness may be more common as they have nothing to lose. They will have little or no financial resources so committing an offence and receiving the consequences will not affect them as much as it would with someone who is not homeless. Crime amongst the homeless may also relieve boredom and be an excitement or a thrill:
Homelessness is cast as a matter of personal responsibility or as a function of the hierarchal structure of a capitalist society, where homelessness is the product of circumstances beyond individual control. There is a link between homelessness and crime and the homeless can be both victims and perpetrators of crime. Individual behaviour which leads to homelessness is
perceived to be a consequence of psychological damage, which in turn may result from such factors as physical or sexual abuse in childhood. Pushed away from their families and damaged by their experiences, many have deep-rooted feelings of guilt and shame which continue after even they have left home. None of this conducive to being able to hold down a job, manage money or sustain a tenancy. People may leave home because they are victims of crime in the form of abuse by other members of the household, or because they themselves have committed offences.
“A stable home forms the foundation on which to build a better life. Without it, it’s more difficult to find work, access services and plan for the future- and there is a clear link between homelessness and offending” – nacro “Nacro Housing Project helps people who are homeless and/or at risk of getting involved in crime to access good supported housing and to stay out of trouble. The service is designed to support a range of people including those leaving prison, ex-offenders, young people who have been looked after by local authorities, people with mental health problems, vulnerable parents and their children.” –nacro “A fifth of all homeless people have committed a crime to get off the streets” “One in five of those surveyed said they had committed ‘an imprisonable offence with the express purpose of receiving a custodial sentence as a means of solving their housing problems’” “A fifth of homeless people have committed ‘imprison able offences’ to spend a night in the cells and more than a quarter of women rough sleepers took an ‘unwanted sexual partner’ to escape their plight” Nearly 30% admitted to committing a ‘minor crime such as shoplifting or anti-social behaviour’ in the hope of being taken into custody for the night” Family Breakdown
Family breakdown can link to crime as the home is where the majority of your life is spent. If you are exposed and grow up in a life in which unstable “People may commit crimes because of chaotic lifestyle, substance misuses or not being able to cope with the challenges of life, being taken out of the norms or life and when they are coming out of prison they have a criminal record, they are more likely to re-offend because they have nothing to lose,”
‘People commit crime because people’s lifestyle changes,” “Those who continue to re-offend are lost causes and life is difficult coming out of prison. Breaking that cycle is very difficult for the individual,” “People commit crime for a number of factors. Because of their personality, their inability to cope because something negative has happened in or out with their family.” “Crime is learned behaviour of parents and friends and people that you trust. It is more likely that your values and beliefs will be the same as theirs” “Men locked up in prison are almost always likely to find domestic violence or abuse in their family background. The impact of violence on children can cause people to offend as those who have suffered violence will impose their experience and their values on society” “A chaotic family background can mean your life chances will be severely limited and can cause the individual to go on to offend for a number of different reasons” “The reasons for an individual committing crime can be predictable from what the domestic situation was” “If you see your mum and dad working hard for what they want, you are more likely to do that too. If you see your parents drunken and fighting every weekend then you will consider this as a normal situation and copy it as learned behaviour.” “6th of all women thought domestic violence was acceptable if their behaviour warranted it,” “People commit crimes because of peer pressure, living outdoors, dysfunctional families, opportunistic situations and a series of choices.” “Offending can often trace back to what their environment was like,” “CSJ/YouGov Polling found that: 75 per cent believe that stabilising Britain’s most troubled families would help society as a whole”
Unemployment
People who are unemployed may commit crimes because people may want to commit crime to make up for their lack of income to gain material wealth. Committing a crime to gain profit may seem considerably easier than applying for a job or earning an income through legitimate employment. Unemployment may also link to crime because people have a lot more opportunities to commit offences. Without having to work they will have more time to commit criminal offences and may also be more exposed to criminality and deviance. A majority of the UK’s prison system are represented by a number of specifically men who are unemplyed or who have never had employment and tend
to be from ‘lower class’ backgrounds. Those in the lowest class who have never had employment are termed by the underclass by sociologists. Charles Murray claimes that it was this group who were responsible for a significant amount of crime. Murray blamed a dependancy cultuire created by overly generous benefits system provided by the governemnt for the behaviour of this group. He claimed that this group formed norms and values that were differnt from the rest of society and therefore they were far more likely to break the law. Most importantly Charles Murray identified single mothers who had never been married as being responsible as they did not socialise their children correctly. “Why do you think people turn to crime? Because they’re lazy and it’s easy.” “It’s a means to an end, there are other opportunities but it’s up to the individual.” “When people find that they are unable to afford basic necessities, or luxuries that they can see others enjoying, they are more likely to be tempted to steal.” “These ‘pathways to poverty’ are interconnected; children who experience family breakdown are more likely to fail at school. Those failing at school, surrounded by a culture of worklessness, are more likely to end up unemployed and on benefits. Debt as well as drug and alcohol abuse also tend to emerge when an individual’s life appears to have no purpose. Destructive and demoralising patterns of life tend to be passed from one generation to another.”
“Reducing youth unemployment by one percentage point could save over £2 million in terms of youth crime avoided.”
Conclusion
Many factors link to crime. It is clear gender and age are very important factors but young men from deprived backgrounds are the most likely to commit crimes.
Drugs and alcohol plays a significant role in how many crimes are committed. Drugs and alcohol are misused by all sections of society: but drug and alcohol misuse and associated crime are more prevalent in deprived areas/communities.
It is quite clear social deprivation and all its constituent parts have a
highly significant role in the propensity for individuals to commit crime. The constituent factors include: unemployment, homelessness, social exclusion etc.
Age, gender, drug and alcohol are all linked to the committing of crimes but social deprivation is the single most powerful factor.
Social deprivation has the clearest link with the propensity of the individuals to commit crime.
