why poor people commit crimes?
2007-02-27 05:53:23 · 4 answers · asked by help 1 in Social Science ➔ Economics
The fellow above should have reflected on the question just a bit before blurting out nonsense. The question very ovbiously means why poor people have more tendencies to commit crime. It's like someone asked you "Why Korean people eat dogs?" and you answering "But Americans eat dogs as well. I saw a guy on TV eating a dog stew just last week!". Can't you see the profound difference between the scales? Won't you agree that poor people commit more crimes (especially per head) than middle or rich class? Most likely for economic reasons. Why would you so stupidly even mention Enron? Even if Enron was a crime, does Enron type of thing happen everyday in large numbers? How can you shove the Enron case in the face of hundreds of murders, thousands of muggings, robberies and burglaries that take place in the US cities everyday? I am not trying to defend the rich or anything like that. I only wanted to point out that your interpretation of the question, your reasoning and you response is seriously flawed and defficient.
2007-02-27 06:40:45 · answer #1 · answered by Erdene A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People commit crimes for different reasons. Since rich people can be criminals too, it doesn't necessarily depend on one's economic status. But poor people steal to have things they can't afford. Sometimes they steal necessities, sometimes it's things that raise their status. Living in poverty creates stresses, whether it's not having enough money for medicine, recreation or even Christmas toys. The stresses create family problems, so domestic violence crimes abound. Poor kids join gangs to feel a sense of belonging and self esteem. But gangs have turfs and that leads to violence. They sell drugs to make money. They buy them to feel good. They escape the pain of poverty by turning to alcohol.
Poverty is a bad existence, and when others have more it's tempting to do all kinds of illegal things to try to better one's life and measure up, especially in a materially based culture like ours.
2007-02-27 14:46:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For the same reasons rich ones do.
They don't think they will get caught, and the crime will give them a benefit that they want. This benefit could be more money, some particular item, some sort of status. It's not just the poor that do it. Look at Enron. Those guys were rich and criminals.
2007-02-27 14:05:40 · answer #3 · answered by theeconomicsguy 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Might be, Cos they don't actually see other way to solve their problems... or are actually paid to do so... so that they can over come their financial problems...
2007-02-27 15:18:10 · answer #4 · answered by Tan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋