Causes of Crime: Social Factors, Drugs and Psychological Disorders Topic related to the book Dark Water Caro

Ramsay (2010). Penguin Books

I have decided to talk about the reasons that make people to commit atrocious acts like murders and rapes. Harry Castiglia, the assassin in Dark Water, murdered and abused women due to a childhood trauma related to his ugly physical aspect and because his beautiful sister was treated better than him by his family. For these reasons, this man attacked women, as a revenge of his misery. Why do people commit crimes despite the consequences? And why do others never do it, no matter how extreme are their circumstances? For a long time specialists have tried to explain what causes abnormal social behaviour, including crime. The only way to maintain social order in the society is controlling those people who exhibit antisocial behaviour. There are different transcendental factors you need to know to understand the reasons for committing a crime like parental relations, education, friends influence and drugs.

Parental relations There are some patterns found in family histories. Cycle of violence: people who have grown in a familiar environment with abuses or antisocial behaviours, will be much more likely to mistreat their own children, who will often follow the same pattern. Children who feel rejected by a parent are more likely to commit crimes later in life than others. Similarly, sexual abuse in childhood often

makes these victims to become rapists as adults. The reject and abuse of children often progresses through several generations. The cycle of abuse, crime, and sociopathy keeps repeating itself. Affectionate parents who respond to the basic needs of their children inculcate self-confidence and an interest in social environments. These children are generally well-adjusted in relating to others and they are far less likely to commit crimes.

Education It is known that an important number of criminals have a very low education level and their employment histories consist of mostly low paid jobs with frequent periods of unemployment. This kind of criminal normally commits crimes like drug trafficking, robbery, car theft and shoplifting. Due to this situation, people must make a choice between continued poor life and the prospect of profitable crime. Gaining further education, of course, is another option, but classes can be expensive and time consuming. While education can provide the chance to get a better job, it does not always overcome the effects of abuse, poverty, or other limiting factors.

Friends influence

A person's friends group strongly influence a decision to commit crime. For example, young boys and girls who start to steal because of his group of friends do it and they want to feel part of them. Also, committing crime with partners gives a person greater courage to do it. In this kind of groups, antisocial behaviour and criminal activity earn respect and street credibility. There are criminal bands that take advantage of these young boys and girls that are easily influenced to steal or traffic with drugs working free or paying them a small amount of money.

Drugs The addiction to drugs or alcohol is definitely one factor that influence peoples ability to make a choice. In order to support a drug habit, they have to get money as soon as possible giving a person greater courage to commit a crime. There are some crimes in which the victim does not have any relationship with his or her attacker. Such an occurrence could involve a confrontation in a bar or some other public places where the attacker and victim happen to be at the same time. Criminologists estimate that alcohol or drug use by the attacker is behind 30 to 50 per cent of violent crime, such as murder, sexual assault, and robbery. In addition drugs and alcohol may turn the victim in a more vulnerable target for a criminal by visiting an area not normally frequented perhaps to purchase drugs. Because of drug and alcohol abuse can be an important factor in someone's life, there are numerous treatment programs for young people who are addicted to these substances. Treatment helps to influence

someone's future decision making and to reduce the tendency for antisocial and criminal behaviour.

Conclusions In my opinion, it is important to know that behind a delinquent there is a background, there are some reasons that may explain why that person commits a crime. The type of information that specialists like criminologists study are really useful because thanks to it, governments can use it to prevent or at least reduce the crime, investing in education, public housing or medical treatment programs.