Family Based Crime Prevention, Essay Example

Abstract

Crime is a leading problem facing society today and has been associated with problems that stem from an individual’s upbringing or childhood. There are a number of crime prevention strategies and techniques that are implemented throughout the world. Regardless of the choice of programs it is imperative that the family unit and dynamics be taken into consideration. Communities, law enforcement and families must work together to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals, as well as families. The Family Based Crime Prevention model focuses primarily on education and intervention at the earliest level. Addressing the family as a whole and educating them is an excellent deterrent to crime. The continuum of crime is commonly blamed on improper family life, exposure to crime and environmental factors. With education, individuals are able to see that there are community resources and support that are available to assist them. Preventing crime and educating individuals is one of the most effective crime reduction strategies available.

Crime Often Begins At Home

Human growth and development begins at home and is directly affected by parenting, surroundings and community exposure. When a child is exposed to abuse, poor parenting, illicit drug uses or other negatives, they are likely to share the same ideology and continue the cycle into their adulthood. While no crime control or reduction strategy is entirely successful, it appears that implementing a family based crime prevention approach would be the most effective. Many of these programs have been implemented through various communities and address high risk families. Programs can begin from the time that a mother is pregnant and address healthy lifestyle choice to decrease cognitive deficiencies or other disabilities that would place the baby at a higher risk. Other programs implemented by this strategy are home visits and educational programs. Home visits allow social workers or other professionals to visit the family at home and make suggestions about safety, as well as determine the faulty dynamics or functionality of the family. Educating families and at risk children assists in building an understanding that they have various choices, not only a life of crime or impoverishment. These programs help individuals envision and acknowledge the consequences of criminal activity or inappropriate behavior.

I believe that these programs are highly effective, because they begin as a preventive measure. Preventing crime and teaching a different way is much more effective than stopping recidivism once it has already begun. In most cases, criminals relate to their poor childhood upbringing when they are introduced to the court system. They note their physical/sexual abuse, drug exposure and violence as a child, thereby suggesting that it is the root cause of their own behavior. Education is the pivotal point in any program, and knowledge is power for individuals that may otherwise believe that there is only one way of life. Showing these individuals and helping those who are oppressed is key in changing their current, as well as future behavior. These types of programs and interventions are not only effective at reducing criminal behavior, but also provides an additional benefit of promoting healthy relationships and growth.