Does poverty cause crime?

[Solly]

I don't know why this has been used as an explanation for the high crime rates of ethnics in the population. Sure there may be more of them poorer..

But couldn't poverty and crime both be caused by an underlying anti-social trait?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

No. Poverty does not cause crime.

Individual people cause crime.

[BeBMan]

Poverty however seems to have a certain influence......

[Shogun Gunner]

If so, the wealthy would never steal. Some of the worse offenses are so-called "white collar" crimes.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Everybody commits crime, as far as I can see.

There is, however, an underlying distrust of people living in poor areas and the crimes seen there, rather than the crimes of the affluent.

[Solly]

"Poverty however seems to have a certain influence......"

I wonder if there have been studies looking at individuals who experience income fluctuations, and whether during a severe downturn in income, they turned to mugging and stuff. I would doubt it.

Therefore I would think poverty and crime and related but caused by a general negative underlying persona. Only I suppose some people might take that as racist due to the disproportionately high number of ethnics committing crimes.

[Whaleboy]

You're right that it's not the only cause but it is a significant contributing factor, particularly in petty crime.

Racially motivated crime increases in proportion to poverty too, but I won't goad PA on that just yet .

The difference between working class and middle class youth subcultures is significant, since the former tend to express themselves through deliquency whereas the latter tends to be more cerebral. Compare townies/lager and goths, or in the past groups like the mods/rockers as opposed to the hippies. Nowadays I think that line is more blurred as education is better, and as the UK is a service-driven economy, it is easier for working class kids to get better jobs, so embourgouisement helps to prevent deliquency. Of course the effect there is limited.

It may just be a British thing, the history of class conflict making people more inclined to dislike the class above them, or a society based upon it. I can't comment on that though, my sociology course only focuses on the post-modern era.

[Shogun Gunner]

poverty is relative as "wealth" is a relative term.

Define crime. Is it a crime to steal a loaf of bread to feed your starving family?

[Whaleboy]

I wonder if there have been studies looking at individuals who experience income fluctuations, and whether during a severe downturn in income, they turned to mugging and stuff. I would doubt it.

If you are socialised in poverty then you would be more prone, I suspect it is something you are taught as children per se.

Therefore I would think poverty and crime and related but caused by a general negative underlying persona. Only I suppose some people might take that as racist due to the disproportionately high number of ethnics committing crimes.

No, I think a better explanation is the disproportionate number of immigrant communities living in poverty.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by Park Avenue
Only I suppose some people might take that as racist due to the disproportionately high number of ethnics committing crimes.

Prove it.

[GePap]

Poverty increases the reasons for violent crime, which is what people really mean when they ask about the crime rate.

The poor have more reasons to commit burglary and robberies (when is the last time a rich man robbed you in the street?)-and of course, their poor money management after the crime means even after they steal they remain poor.

The poor are also more liekly to be unemplyed, giving time for crime, and again, financial reason.

Now, outside of robbery and burglery, I don;t think poverty has much to do with it, when it comes to crimes like Murder, rape.

[Sava]

Poverty is one of the causes of crime.

If poverty didn't cause crime, the poorest nations of the world would be Utopias.

Look at Haiti... the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Poverty is not the sole cause of crime, but it's a major factor.

And the whole "white collar" thing is bull****. I've heard that lame argument before. How many CEO's are robbing liquor stores?

All you need to do is look at demographic charts and crime charts. Higher crime is always in poorer areas.

To say poverty has nothing to do with crime is completely retarded... and "criminally" stupid.

[Solly]

It is an obvious fact in Britain and US Laz. Prove me wrong.

"If you are socialised in poverty then you would be more prone"

Good comment..

"Racially motivated crime increases in proportion to poverty too, but I won't goad PA on that just yet "

Prove it. ()

[chequita guevara]

There's a study in a recent issue of Scientific American which shows that crime is only partially linked to poverty. The biggest factor in the rise and fall of crime in the 80s and 90s was the emergence and then lessening demand for crack cocaine. Almost every other fact, death penalty, tougher sentencing, more cops, demographics, economics, etc. had minor negligable effects on overall crime rates.

[Guynemer]

"ethnics"?