To Those in Law Enforcement and anyone else: Why do some people become criminals?

Question

I am reading this book, Inside the Criminal Mind (Samenow, 2004). The author is basically putting holes in many of the social sciences "causes" for criminality (i.e. poverty causes people to become criminals, abuse causes people to become criminals, etc..). So what your thoughts???

Answer 1

Boredom.

Answer 2

There are many honest hard working people who were raised in poverty who are not criminals. Also there are many who were abused as children who grew up and became wonderful parents because they did not want their own children to suffer as they did.

But I do believe that sometimes there are people who are just born "evil".

Answer 3

"Why do some people become criminals?"

Because its easier than working!

Answer 4

Greed is the prime motivator of career criminals.

Answer 5

Some people have the balls to do what everyone else wishes they could do.Look at the popular films.Most people will pay good money to see a flick that is full of criminal activity.Look at all the people that listen to gangster rap and still don;t have the balls to be a gangster.I don't see how the last person thinks crime is easier than working.I've done both and I never got an adrenaline rush from working...Some people have educated themselves on this corrupt system and hate the fact that their dollar is worth less and less and the work gets harder and harder...And then again,some people are just crazy but I don't think all criminals are crazy.

Answer 6

There are too many reasons for criminal activity to list here.  Most of the reasons people become criminals can be sorted into three general categories ... GREED, POWER, and HATE/REVENGE.

I do tend to agree with the statements you attribute to the book.  Poverty does not cause people to become criminals, there are plenty of people living in poverty in the USA that would never think of breaking a law.  Abuse is just as likely to create a complete pacivist as it is to create a criminal.  Several of the people I grew up with were abused by their parents and/or others ... and most of them grew up with a heightened sense of compassion for others (I realize that this is not scientific proof of my theory ... just my observation).

Answer 7

Easy, their desire to satisfy a need outweights their fear of consequence.  That's why crime these days is getting worse, there are fewer and fewer consequences and peoples percieved needs keep growing.  this can be particularly true of drug addicts, because their need superexcedes any consequence at all...