This Article is written by Veer Pratap Singh, a Student @ University of Lucknow.
“Crime is the price society pays for abandoning character”.
The above words by James Q. Wilson might appear to some as a notion or observation, but in reality, they are much more. The above words not only just represent a point of view, or a practical observation, but do also point towards the harsh truth that criminal behavior is just not a mere personal failure of abiding to the laws, but a reflection of a societal failure that drives such criminal behavior.
When we discuss about crime and criminals, in most cases, we only look out for the tip of the iceberg. We do take in notice the incident, the offender, the attempt, the motive behind doing such act , etc., but often overlook the million-dollar questions: What made the offender to retort to crime? Why did he end up in such a situation where committing a crime seemed like the easy solution? We do talk very little about the Elephant in the room, that what makes a person a criminal?
Criminal behavior is not inherent. They are not present in a person since his very birth. It is obvious that such behavior is developed later in life. The reasons are in a variety. It emerges from a complex interplay of various psychological, social, economical, legal and institutional, and cultural and media influenced factors. The presence of one or more of these factors in combination are the driving forces behind how criminals are made.
Psychological studies agree on the fact that a person’s mental state and his emotions govern his behavior quite significantly. A person’s emotions are affected by his experiences. Exposure to negative experiences, such as abuse, trauma, dysfunctional environments at home and workplace etc. do take a heavy toll on a person’s mind. In such cases, people with a fragile emotional state are very likely to end up being overwhelmed and doing something they are likely to regret later.
For such people , ‘One Bad Day’ might end up being their worst nightmare. There can be instances of sudden rage , uncontrolled outbursts to even worse outcomes like sadistic behavior and psychopathy. Additionally , psychological issues can also cause disorders such as antisocial personality disorder , conduct disorder , substance abuse , which are likely to act as catalysts for potential criminal behavior.
As quoted before by Mr. Wilson , crime is not a personal failure alone . It is rather , a collective societal failure. Most of us do dismiss crime as an individual’s failure , but it is a lot more than that. A society is only as good as the people that make it up.
Ideally, there would be very less to almost nil crime rates in a society with strong institutions and civilized people with a common shared goal of all-round development. Although the real world is a stark contrast. In a society with insufficient social institutions and lack of education, morals and solidarity amongst people, coupled with the feelings of exclusion, helplessness and malice, crime and criminals are likely to emerge. In places where social inequalities are high, and discrimination and injustice are a regular happening, the aggrieved are likely to feel anger towards their situation and a desire to bring change to it anyhow.
If coupled with an ill desire for vengeance along with the belief that the state or the society cannot provide them justice , it becomes a possibility that some of these aggrieved people might lose control and retort to crime to make their voices heard . Theories such as Strain Theory , Social Disorganization Theory , Conflict Theory support this argument by pointing out the flaws in the society which lead to horrible crimes . Unfortunately , this phenomenon is a global one, with examples being seen from all around the world .
In today’s world, nothing is worth more than money. Money and assets are things which decide a person’s standing within the society. If you have money, you can do almost everything, if not everything. Imagining one selves without money is like imagining Roman Empire without Rome. Economic status is worth everything in today’s world, and without a stable economic status, things are sure to go south . Economic Inequalities are another reason out of many behind crimes. While the rich are affected less , the poor suffer greatly due to unequal distribution of resources, inflation, high cost of living.
Affording even basic necessities like food , shelter , education , healthcare becomes unrealistic . It results in a large population of unskilled , malnourished , underprivileged people struggling for limited , exhaustive resources . This unhealthy competition gives birth to an absolute necessity to arrange basic necessities anyhow . And , we know well that ‘Necessity knows no Law’. Where there are no other means of survival left , it doesn’t take long for crime to spread its roots , appearing as a choice better than a painful life. Crimes such as theft , robbery , dacoity are results of economic scarcities , and their rising numbers are just a proving point of how severe this problem is.
Crime and criminals are only as strong as the law allows them to be. While not directly , legal and institutional failures are also a big reason behind crime and criminals. Law does help in checking crimes and criminals, but what if the law loses its grip? There are some big loopholes in legal institutions that are often misused. Examples include too lenient or incomplete laws, delay in trials, botched up investigations, corruption in law enforcement, poor management of prisons, more emphasis on punishing than reforming, etc. While it encourages criminals, it also encourages potential offenders to commit crimes and escape justice.
Cultural and media influences are also worth considering in the development of criminals . In a world where guns , drugs , and criminals are glorified through songs , movies , social media, and there is a glorification of power culture , some people feel justified to follow in the footsteps , for to them , it is okay because it is glorified. Lack of ethical and moral awareness often blurs the lines between right and wrong . As a result , they can get brainwashed into following the wrong example and ruin their lives along with others.
To sum up , criminals are not born , they are made. How they are made is a complex topic consisting of a score of factors, but one fine observation is that all roads lead to one destination, us as a society . All the factors listed above cannot be solved individually, but together we can. We as the society can work towards building a better tomorrow, one with next-to-none crimes and criminals, if not zero crime and criminals. It is the flaws in the functioning of our society which gives birth to criminal behavior, and only we the people, have the collective power to control it.
All it takes is efficiency , compassion and determination to help for the cause . As the building blocks of the society , it is the responsibility of each one of us to ensure we give our 100% towards making our society develop all-round , so that the aggrieved keep their hopes up for the society and don’t turn their backs from it. Like Mr. Gandhi famously said , “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
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