1. Causes of Crime – Theories and Approaches While few people today would argue crime has but one cause, people still emphasize one factor over another. And they debate whether one factor is a cause or effect of another.

2. For convenience, we will put them into two groups: SOCIAL & CULTURAL INDIVIDUAL & SITUATIONAL Poverty Unemployment Racial discrimination Child abuse American values Violence in the media Biology Rational choice Guns Alcohol Drugs Write these in your notebook and be prepared to discuss...

3. Social and Cultural Factors “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” -- Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), Greek philosopher, Politics

4. Social problems – such as poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination, and child abuse -- and cultural influences – such as American values and television -- are often mentioned as causes of crime. They do not cause crime in any direct sense. The vast majority of poor people, for example, remain law-abiding all their lives. But these factors may make it more likely that some people turn to crime.

5. Poverty, Unemployment, and Racial Discrimination A study showed that neighborhoods with the most poverty had the highest rates of crime. Neighborhoods with poverty rates above 40% had crime rates THREE TIMES HIGHER than neighborhoods with poverty rates under 20%. Many people believe that poverty contributes to the high crime rate. You only have to drive through a high-poverty area and look at the barred windows and security doors to know that the people who live there worry about crime.

6. o Poverty and unemployment are highest in minority communities, particularly among African Americans and Latinos. o About one fourth of all blacks and Latinos live below the poverty line, compared to about 10 percent of whites. o Despair and hopelessness may also give rise to crime in these communities.

7. Inner-city residents, mostly minorities, get arrested and jailed at high rates. Homicide is the leading cause of death of black males between the ages of 15 and 34, and the second leading cause of Hispanic males in the same age group. While males of the same age are far less likely to die of homicide. Let’s take a look at Jackson – Jackson Police Department

8. One of the great causes of poverty, of course, is lack of jobs.

9. What about during the worse economic depression in U.S. history? During the Great Depression, when unemployment reached 25%, crime went down in many cities. Why?

10. In 1992, the crime rate was high and so was unemployment. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, unemployment dropped rapidly and so did the crime rate.

11. The decline in crime went against expectations because more people in the 18-30 age group entered the population. This is the most crime-prone age and many experts had predicted rising crime rates! But wait – the economy boomed in the 1960s?!?

12. Some experts attributed the fall in crime to the booming economy. They argue that unlike the 1960s when the economy also boomed, the 21 st century economy provided more jobs for the poor. ???? When less legal work is available, more illegal "work" takes place.

15. Some social scientists have found a direct relationship between joblessness and crime and other social problems. Dr. Harvey Brenner of John Hopkins University found that for every ONE percent increase in unemployment, the U.S. sees: 650 extra homicides 3,300 extra state prison admissions 920 extra suicides 500 extra deaths from alcoholism

16. Child Abuse and Neglect The family is usually the greatest single influence on a person’s life. In a family, we learn how to behave, how to treat other people, and how to view ourselves. Children who experience cruelty or lack of affection can develop anti-social habits or serious mental problems. Some problems may show up much later, as the child grows.

17. Many sociologists believe that parents who abuse their children start a cycle of abuse from generation to generation. Abused children often grow up to abuse their children.

18. In a study reported by Science magazine, sociologists found that neglected children were one and one-half more times as likely to commit violent crime later in life than non- neglected children.

19. Abused children were twice as likely to become violent criminals.

20. The study concluded that the abusive family was one place where society should try to break the continuing cycle of violence. Neglect and abuse within a family can lay the roots for a life of violent crime.

21. Abused children are also six times more likely to abuse their own children.

22. Almost 3 million children are reported as victims of abuse or neglect every year.

23. Many cases of abuse undoubtedly never get reported.

24. A National Institute of Justice study found that “childhood abuse increased the odds of future delinquency and adult criminality overall by 40%.

25. Some social scientists insist that almost all career criminals, particularly those involved in crimes of violence, were abused as children.

26. Values That Make Crime More Acceptable Many people believe that Americans hold certain values that may encourage criminal conduct. One such value might be our love of material goods.

28. Judging by our mass media, our society seems to place a high value on owning new things. The cumulative message of much advertising is that happiness comes from having things. What do YOU think?

29. Wealth and material possessions translate into status or position in society. Thus people often want things they cannot afford to buy, and some people may steal and rob to get what they want. What do YOU think?

30. Violence is acceptable. Another value or belief that some claim affects America’s crime rate is the idea that violence is acceptable and even admirable.

31. Part of American folklore is the hero who fights criminals. Our movies and television programs often show sheriffs, police officers, and cowboys using guns and violence to combat the violence of criminals.

32. Similarly, such programs may show people committing violent acts. This does not mean that individual Americans favor the use of violence. Rather, it means that Americans may view violence as a normal part of life.

33. Decline of Traditional Family Values Finally, some people have connected our crime problem to a decline of traditional family values. They argue that many of our social problems, including crime, stem from a decline in values such as being religious, valuing education, getting married, and working hard to get ahead.

34. Decline of Traditional Family Values The loss of these values and a greater acceptance of non-traditional attitudes and behaviors, some believe, can lead to greater poverty, social breakdown, and even crime. What do YOU think?

35. The Media The APA notes that by seventh grade, the average American will have watched on television 8,000 murders, plus another 100,000 acts of violence. Does watching this much violence make Americans more prone to violence? In 1972, the U.S. Surgeon General announced that “televised violence, indeed, does have an adverse effect on certain members of our society.” In the years that followed, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Department of Justice, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and numerous scientific studies have backed up the words of the Surgeon General.

37. Many social scientists have concluded that televised violence can contribute to antisocial behavior in children. This is particularly true when the children come from violent homes or neighborhoods. It adds to the culture of violence surrounding them.

38. Critics complain that violence has crept into all the media -- network television, cable television, movies, videos, music lyrics, advertising, the Internet, and video games. They believe that the media is creating a culture of violence.

40. As an example, they point to “Grand Theft Auto,” a highly popular, ultra-violent series of video games in which users steal cars, run over people, and kill police. Critics call it a “murder simulator” trains young people to kill.

42. Defenders of the media believe that it is far too simple- minded to blame violence on the media. Millions of people, they point out, view violence. Only a few commit acts of violence.

43. Violence in entertainment, as they see it, is being made a scapegoat for society’s problems. They contend that television simply reflects the level of violence in society. It does nothing to cause the violence.

44. A study published in Pediatrics lent some support to this viewpoint. The study found “disturbingly high” levels of violence among 2,000 third to eighth grade students. But the study found only a small link between this violence and heavy doses of television violence. Instead, the study mainly linked the violence to students witnessing or being a victim of real-life violence at home, in the community, or at school.

45. The question of violence in the arts has now become a battleground between those who insist on First Amendment free-speech rights and those who insist the question is really one of corporate responsibility.