Every crime is the result of individual, physical and social conditions. (Ferri, 1893). In "Thinking seriously about crime" Jock Young described crime as "a product of the undersocialisation of the individual. This can be a result of (a) an innate genetic or physiological incapacity of the individual to be easily socialised; (b) a family background which was ineffective in the use of socialisation techniques in its child-rearing practices; (c) a social setting which lacked coherent and consistent consensual values". This statement nicely introduces this essay, as all the main aspects that lead people in to crime will be discussed.

Drugs are constantly the issue of intense government and political debate. Drugs and Alcohol are major factors in why people commit crime. An individual may be dealing in drugs to make money; they may commit crimes to feed their habit or they may just use drugs for recreational use. All these are practices are illegal. In the United States of America the number of inmates and prisoners has more than tripled since 1980. Four out of every five got there with the help of drugs and alcohol, says a report released by the National Centre on Addi

There are two possible theses of Genetic Determinism. Firstly there is 'Weak Genetic Determinism' which suggests genetics has a role in the causation of a range of Behavioural and/or personality traits, such as aggression, dominance and IQ which are relevant to criminality. Secondly there is 'Strong Genetic Determinism' which suggests genetics is a causally sufficient condition (under normal circumstances) for a range of behavioural and/or personality traits that Lead to criminality.

Most individuals commit crime of their own accord. Whether they had a poor upbringing, they live in a "problem area", are on drugs or have "criminal genes" they still commit crimes for personal gain. They are not propelled in to committing anything.

 High turnover and vacancies

Child abuse is found in families at every income. It is much more common at the lower income levels. Children who grow up in violent homes tend to use violence when they become adults in marriage and as parents. Each generation directly affects its descendants and indirectly influences later generations in the same family line. If a child grew up in an abusive household and later went on to commit violent crime, would his upbringing be a major factor? From the evidence presented here it can be concluded that an individuals' upbringing has a significant influence on their life. So an individual can be propelled in to crime. But perhaps he/she still has to be a certain type of person? Can people be born bad?

Weak genetic determinism seems to be the more plausible theory. Strong genetic determinism would suggest that there exists something like a "Murderer gene" or a "Bank robber gene". We clearly know this not to be true. We would then see a more even spread of crime throughout the nation if this were so. The premise that genes contribute towards persons' outcome in life can be accepted. If an individual has genes which make them highly aggressive then that person would be more prone to violent situations than a person whose genes make them a less aggressive person. The same would apply to IQ and dominance. However, it is sensible to say that not enough is known about genetics to make these theories solid fact but enough is known to show that genes can influence a person when certain situations exist. It is therefore safe to conclude that an individual is not propelled in to crime because of his genes, they can only influence him.

 Difficulty in maintaining management control

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Approximate Word count = 1835
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)