A criminological approach to crime in society today

by Elio Zannoni

Crime is a complex phenomenon that affects millions of people’s lives the world over.

Though countless studies have been done to find the underlying causes of crime, the reality is that, while in some instances one causative factor features over others, criminal behaviour is most often the product of multiple situations and experiences in the familial, social, individual, psychological, biological and environmental spheres of life.

On our doorsteps Crime may be carried out by stealth, deceit, threat and violence, or a combination of all these factors, and it is very often precipitated by the presence of opportunities in the environments where we live, work, study, play and socialise. Criminal victimisation is, in fact, part and parcel of the many risks we face as we go about our daily routine activities.

Predisposing and precipitating conditions The commission of a crime begins with a predisposed individual who is willing to carry out an unlawful act when given the right opportunity. Usually the perpetrator’s actions are precipitated by favourable conditions such as the absence of security, negligence, and naivety or distraction on the part of the victim. At other times though, criminal acts are committed on the spur of the moment such as when a person is physically assaulted by another during an argument, or when shots are fired in a road rage incident. The fact is that, for someone to resort to physical force or pull the trigger, there must be an altered state of mind, or some predisposition or condition that leads to violent behaviour. Drugs and alcohol can make people more prone to violence, too and they are often precipitating factors in physical and sexual assaults, rapes and murders.

Consequences When a crime is committed, the consequences are multiple and diverse. Loss, pain and suffering along with fear and powerlessness are all consequences for victims. There are also physical, emotional and financial burdens for individuals, companies, organisations and societies that fall victim to crime. Crime can involve loss of property and dignity as well as loss of limb or life in its most extreme form.

There seems to be no end to crime in today’s society, whether as the result of increasing disparities between the “haves” and “have nots”, opportunities stemming from open displays of wealth, the abuse of addiction-forming substances that alter behaviour, children growing up in broken, dysfunctional or violent families, people with weak, if any moral values, urbanisation and overcrowding with the resultant lack of opportunities. These along with a continuous disregard for the rule of law are factors contributing to rising crime levels.

Crime finds fertile ground in developing countries such as South Africa, where social and economic disparities are more prevalent, and where an abundance of opportunities and attractive targets are available to the criminally-minded.

Combined resources While it is true that preventing and fighting crime is primarily the responsibility of governments and their policing and judicial structures, we must not lose sight of the fact that an active contribution by all lawabiding citizens is needed if we are to make a positive impact on crime. Without citizens’ involvement, criminal elements find it easier to act with impunity. On the contrary, if criminals realise that there is active cooperation between the public and the police, they will soon figure out that it will be much harder for their actions to go undetected and unreported.

Increasingly important, too, is the role of private security in the prevention and investigation of criminal activities as well as in response to incidents. Visibility in the form of guards at business and residential premises and security patrol vehicles responding to alarm and panic activations is a critical component of crime fighting in today’s troubled cities. So often, the first uniformed person we resort to for help when we are in trouble, or ask for directions or information when we are out and about, is a private security officer. Without any doubt, a strong community, police and private security partnership is one of the most powerful weapons at our disposal in the fight against crime today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elio Zannoni is a criminologist and specialist in threat, vulnerability and risk analysis at Strategic Threat Analysis (South Africa).