Social Risk Factors, Research Paper Example

Crime is a serious issue in many countries, and it requires the use of multiple resources to create and enforce the laws in a manner appropriate to each society or government.  There are many different factors that can cause an individual to be prone to engaging in criminal activities.  While there is still a theoretical belief that criminals are genetically prone to engaging in criminal behaviors (“Causes of Crime”, 2004), many current sociological and criminologist professionals believe that there are several social factors that enable individuals to result to such behavior as a learned response.  Many of these social factors are typically categorized to relate to Family, Education, Economic, and Community and Peers.

The first social factor that may contribute to developing criminal behaviors is the family situation and circumstances that a child has when growing up.  “Parental criminality appears to be strongly correlated with an increased risk of a child of developing conduct problems and later criminal involvement” (Ministry of Justice, 2009).  Based on this research, it is clear that parents serve as mentors and teachers for their children.  If a parent engages in criminal behaviors, it is logical to believe that this factor would cause a child to engage in similar behaviors.  This does not suggest that family genetics causes a hereditary criminal likelihood; however, it shows that children will duplicate the observed behaviors of the adults that are important figures in their lives.  Therefore, a child and parent’s relationship in a family can act as a social factor for criminal behaviors.

Education also plays a crucial role in teaching children appropriate behaviors, but also provides students with an ability to gain employment during a difficult economy.  In a 1990 survey of inmates in state prison systems research results showed a correlation between education and economic circumstances leading to criminal activity.  Most of the criminals had received very poor educations and many could not read or write.  Due to their lack of education, a majority of students were unable to find adequate employment and were forced to live in poverty and harsh economic circumstances.  “Because of their poor educational backgrounds, their employment histories consisted of mostly low wage jobs with frequent periods of unemployment” (“Causes of Crime”, 2004).  This correlation shows a relationship that suggests that poor education leads to poverty and it is in a direct response to poverty that many criminals engage in behaviors to survive.  Robbery is the most common form of criminal activity in response to the economic social factor.

The effects that community or peer groups have as a social factor for criminal activity are difficult to quantify through specific research.  However, it is clear that the social environment that individuals live in have an influence on behaviors and cognitive perception of the world around them through interpersonal communication (“Causes of Crime”, 2004).  In many cases, this social factor is interrelated with a similar factor of alcohol or drug use.  Peer groups help influence the behaviors that individuals engage in and often can condone or refute criminal behavioral trends.  Depending on socioeconomic factors, these peer groups may engage in criminal activity as a group.  In response to peer pressure or the desire to “fit in”, individuals force themselves to engage in criminal activity.

While these social factors are not always evaluated as an exact science, it is clear that they each can have a cognitive or socioeconomic relationship that influences an individual to choose to engage in criminal activity.  Many of these factors force individuals to respond to their environment, whether it is family, education or economic.  The true challenge is discovering the mental logic processes that individuals utilize to rationalize their criminal activity.  Most criminals are aware that their behaviors are dangerous and illegal; yet they perform these actions anyway.  Further research must be conducted to understand these exact relationships to determine how the social factors truly influence criminal activity.

References

Causes of crime – explaining crime, physical abnormalities, psychological disorders, social and economic factors, broken windows, income and education. (2004). Retrieved from http://law.jrank.org/pages/12004/Causes-Crime.html

Ministry of Justice. (2009, March). Strategic policy brief: social risk factors for involvement in crime. Retrieved from http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy-and-consultation/drivers-of-crime/documents/spb-social-risk-factors