Source of Crime - Essay Example

Relative deprivation as a source of crime Relative deprivation results from social inequalities where individuals think that they are deprived of rewards and opportunities that are being given to other individuals of similar competencies (Albanese, 2012; Conklin, 2010). Relative property results when people expect more than the opportunities they get. “Relative deprivation includes both structural factors, such as objective indicators of a group’s income, and the subjective element of how people perceive their position” (Webber, 2009, p.88). Relative deprivation gives rise to discontent among individuals, which may also lead to criminal activities (McLaughlin & Muncie, 2006, p.350). Chester (1976) considers relative deprivation as a cause of property crime.

According to him, relative poverty, which arises from relative deprivation, is more “criminogenic” (p. 17) in nature than relative poverty. Lower class people get involved in crime against middle and upper classes, especially in areas where the middle or upper classes live close to the lower class people. This is because in such areas, middle and upper class values and lifestyle is more obvious, and lower class people see it as unfair. Hence, they get involved in crime. Property crime is one such crime that occurs from this easy contact with information about superior way of life.

The discontent and frustration forces individuals to show criminal behavior, and thus they get indulged in crimes like burglary, theft, arson, and even murders. The need of the hour is that governments should make efforts to provide all citizens with sufficient base income, so that discontent and frustration among them can be reduced. ReferencesAlbanese, J. S. (2012). Professional Ethics in Criminal Justice: Being Ethical When No One Else is Looking (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Chester, C.R. (1976). Perceived relative deprivation as a cause of property crime. Crime & Delinquency, 22(1), pp. 17-30. Conklin, J. E. (2010). Criminology (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.McLaughlin, E., & Muncie, J. (2006). The Sage Dictionary of Criminology. London, UK: Pine Forge Press. Webber, C. (2009). Relative deprivation as the outcome of comparisons. Psychology and Crime. USA: SAGE Publications Ltd.