What makes a person turn to a life of crime?

Question

I am studying criminal behavior and I was wanting some outside opinions on the subject.

Answer 1

I just learned this in my Criminal Justice class.
It has to do with Chemical IMbalances, it could be hereditary, lack of attention.
Some criminals like the "High" feeling when commiting a crime. And like a drug, they will continue to do it.

Answer 2

Background. I think it has almost solely to do with how a person is raised. If abuse is regular in the household, it's what appears normal to that person, and the behavior will be repeated unless they are repeatedly told otherwise. If they grow up in an environment where crime is normal and acceptable, that's what they'll do.

Do unto others, basically.

There are, naturally, other factors, but this is a major one.

btw: what has been done can be undone. just a side thought.

Answer 3

You get a DUI and then try to make your life work out after that and you have to get to classes and can't drive and you can't find a job in your small town that's miles from any other town and then you get a ticket for driving without your license because you had to get to class so you wouldn't go to jail and tryin to get your license back and then you lose your job because you had to spend a weekend in jail and now you can't afford to go to your classess all of which makes you want to drink more and then you get a little too drunk and slap someone and go to jail for that and now you've got even more classes to go to and no way to get there and no hope of getting a license anytime soon and no way to get a job and pretty much the moral of the story is that you have one too many beers at the bar one night and all of a sudden you're up to your neck in a legal system that's about getting as much money out of you while making you run all over the state with no way to do it...... You turn to crime when it's all you have left because the system has raped you so hard you can't walk straight

Answer 4

Greed, mostly. Plenty of poor people work unappelaing jobs, often multiple jobs- but don't resort to crime. Plenty of wealthy people engage in criminal activity. It's not just a matter of economics.

Cruelty, narcicissm, not caring about the welfare of others and similar personality traits also predispose an individual to such activity.

Answer 5

Peer pressure. You want to look good in front of your buddies so you do it also. My nephew did and it also turned into doing drugs. Then you steal for drug money because you developed this bad habit and can't go without it. You can go to rehab, but that doesn't always work because most of the time you go back to hanging out with the same people.

Answer 6

Personal choice. Sure, environment plays some part. But people living in rough neighborhoods still have a choice to live a different and better life. It all comes down to free will.

Answer 7

I think it is a brain defect. People say it happens to people that grow up poor. Well I know plenty of people that grew up poor that turned out very wealthy and very happy. So thats an excuse. It is a mental disorder of some sort. They are wired wrong.

Answer 8

The fact they aren't getting any breaks. It seems that there is only opposition to their success, but nothing going for them. That's the only logical reason behind any crime. Similar to a starving child stealing for food. But there is also Crowd psychology in ghettos and other poor areas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_psychology

Answer 9

Well, I am not criminal behaviorist, but I would think a defect in their character, mind, or they are just angry about what card were dealt in the game of life. Sorry, I couldn't help.

Answer 10

Drugs