The Nature of Crime
There are various reasons as to why a criminal commits a crime. According to Glaser (1977), the deterministic model of research proposes that behind any criminal act there, are variables that affect the mind of the offender. Enrico Ferri, a scholar who studied influences of crime, states that all criminal acts are influenced by sociological, psychological, and biological factors, hence, render the offender with no choice but to commit the said offences (McLeod, 2013). An example of the sociological causes occurs when poverty and social instability of neighborhoods may force some people into theft (Glaser, 1977). This criminal act is committed for survival and would have been different had the person been born in a stable surrounding and have a proper means of living.
Nevertheless, there are scholars who believe that crime is a personal choice regardless of any conditions in their surroundings. According to the individual choice theory, one is fully conscious and has a clear definition of the pain and pleasure associated with crime (Glaser, 1977). Therefore, offenders should not use their environment and life challenges as a justification of the crimes they commit.
As a security manager, I believe that though people may partake in crime due to their harsh environment, most of them go into crime rationally. They choose crime as it is easier than working hard toward the intended goal and bettering their livelihood. Criminals know the consequences of crime and still prefer to commit the act in the hopes that they can get away with it. When caught, they are of different backgrounds; some of them come from stable families but still choose to commit crime. That being the case, punishment for crime should be set depending on the intensity of crime.
References
Glazer, D. (1977). Compatibility of free will and determinism in criminology: Comments on an alleged problem, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 67(4), 486-490.
McLeod, S. A. (2013). Freewill and determinism in psychology. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/freewill-determinism.html
