Understanding Crime: Factors, Trends, and Social Impact
Decrease in Adolescent Population (1990-2020) and Crime Rates
A decrease in the number of adolescents between 1990 and 2020, if not offset by other events, may lead to a reduction in delinquency. Crimes committed by youth are typically less severe than those committed by adults. The earlier adolescents start engaging in criminal activity, the more intense their criminal behavior tends to be as adults. Finally, it appears that age is a factor that can mask other underlying factors.
Female Crime Statistics
- Police arrest one woman for every ten men.
- For every 15 men convicted, one woman is sentenced.
- Approximately 8% of the prison population is female.
- Spain has the highest percentage of female prisoners in Europe (8.1%), compared to the European average of 4.5%.
- Self-reporting surveys corroborate official crime data among young people in Spain: males admit to committing serious offenses at approximately double the rate of women.
Social Class, Unemployment, and Crime
Criminologists have traditionally believed that crime is a phenomenon primarily occurring in the lower classes of society, often associated with minority groups. This perspective suggests that those at the lower end of the social scale have greater incentives to commit crimes because they cannot obtain the conventional goods and lifestyles of the upper class. They may also be more involved in violent crime due to frustration with the rest of society. Most individuals arrested and detained belong to the lower class. It seems reasonable to assume a correlation between unemployment and crime, such that higher unemployment rates correspond to an increase in delinquency.
However, there is no linear relationship between unemployment, poverty, and crime. Certain social processes caused by economic growth can both foster and inhibit crime:
- Reduction of poverty and social exclusion decreases social despair and criminal motivation, but economic growth increases opportunities for crime (e.g., more trade, social mobility, nightlife).
- Short-term unemployment may not immediately lead to increased offenses due to the existence of social and family support. However, long-term unemployment can result in decreased self-esteem.
Research on the Relationship Between Crime and Drugs
Explanations for the relationship between drugs and crime are often based on the theory of disinhibition. This theory posits that drugs potentiate aggression, decrease attention, and prevent individuals from anticipating consequences. Individuals become more uninhibited, leading them to take risks they would not normally take. Situational or predispositional theories are also frequently mentioned. The effects of alcohol are not only disinhibiting but also depend on social, psychological, cultural, and contextual factors.
The relationship is complex because, in addition to (1) crime caused by drugs, there is also (2) functional crime, where drug use fosters crime. The high cost of drugs may force consumers to commit crimes to acquire their dosages, which is typical for property crimes or drug trafficking. It is also possible that (3) drug use occurs as a result of involvement in crime. The need to carry out certain behaviors may require the use of drugs to achieve the necessary courage. Finally, (4) both phenomena may arise simultaneously. Therefore, the relationship between drugs and crime is not simple.
In conclusion, the common criminal is one who commits the crimes that generate the most insecurity.