Patrick Nulty
Riversdale CC
It is a worrying trend to find that modern society is becoming
more selfish and materialistic. This is shown in the attitude of many
members of the general public, as well as the media, to crime. In most
pre-election opinion polls when people are asked what issues concern them
most crime is usually of greatest concern.
The reality in recent years has been a decline in reported
incidents of crime. One notable and disturbing exception, is the increase
in violent crime. Without wishing to diminish or belittle the genuine
trauma and anger which many innocent victims of crime suffer, it is important
to examine the causes of crime and put the actions of criminals in proper
perspective.
Before examining crime and its causes it must first be defined.
A crime, put simply, is an act considered morally wrong by an overwhelming
majority of society. As morality is by definition subjective, so too is
what constitutes a crime. However, some actions are quite clearly criminal
in nature. Unprovoked acts of violence or even murder are undisputedly
criminal and should be prohibited by law in any civilised society. This
can be justified simply looking at the consequences both physically and
psychologically such an action has on its victim. Then there is white
collar crime. For example, tax evasion, large scale fraud and corruption
have a devastating effect on both the economy and society as a whole.
In many instances what is or is not a crime can be much
more difficult to resolve. This can be seen in places like South Africa
where apartheid laws were clearly indefensible and so people were under
no moral obligation to respect these laws. This was also the case in Great
Britain where civil disobedience was a key weapon in the fight against
Margaret Thatcher's infamous poll tax. In addition, those who use relatively
harmless substances like marijuana are considered to be criminals however
their actions are not immoral and do not adversely affect the lives of
others. While accepting the general consensus about what constitutes a
crime it is vital to place actions that are considered illegal in their
overall context.
Many people who commit a crime come from disadvantaged or
difficult backgrounds and as such do not have the same tolerance and respect
for the laws enforced by the state. This applies to most countries and
generally people who feel that they have no stake in the welfare of society
and the preservation of law and order are bound to resort to crime in
order to vent their anger against a society which has shown little concern
for their needs.
Many crimes like joyriding, theft and drug abuse can be
reduced significantly by tackling the root causes of social inequality
and injustice in our society. A person that steals an expensive car may
resent that they have never been given the opportunity to own such valuable
material goods and may not regard its theft as immoral. This does not
justify crime but does provide a possible explanation. Those who chose
to break the law do not do so on a random basis. It is a result of the
environment in which they live and the moral guidelines given to them
as youngsters by their parents and peers about what constitutes appropriate
behaviour. Many people feel that more parental responsibility should be
taken for the actions of their children. While this seems reasonable in
theory it must be remembered that parents have only a certain amount of
control over their children and that where an environment of contempt
towards the law prevails parental influence may be limited.
While criminals and criminal behaviour is a minority activity
throughout society some sections and groups in society have a greater
chance of becoming involved in crime than others. This is a direct result
of a differing range of opportunities and challenges faced by various
socio-economic groups. The only way to resolve this problem is not by
building more prisons or introducing more draconian legislation but to
ensure everyone receives equal access to education, public transport and
housing so that people feel genuinely engaged and committed to the State
and its structures.
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