An
impressive reflection on crime, responsibility, society, and the human capacity
to change
By Zaheer Abbas
When we see an incarceration, the easy
thing is to view the identity of the prisoner through just one label – criminal.
Life however, is rarely based on just one event or just one circumstance, a
process that leads to a criminal lifestyle can be plotted over time by
considering such factors as years of struggle, negative associations, choices
made and not made, societal roles and lost opportunities. A consideration of
"What makes a man criminal" therefore, should extend beyond the
criminal act itself.
The Family: The First
School of Life
At home, a child learns his first
lessons on how to trust, show respect, engage in a conflict and show
responsibility. If there's Negligence, abuse, consistent violence or absence of
guiding principles the lessons might become perverse. A child who sees fights
as solutions may conclude that violence is a right thing to have as behaviour,
although life does not mean crime all the way for a distressed family history,
other factors like caring people, studies, mentors and inner abilities may
change things.
Poverty, Exclusion, and
Lack of Opportunity
Money trouble
doesn't make someone into a criminal, in fact most poor people live within the
law. However, sheer pressure, joblessness, social exclusion and narrow routes
out of crime can all exacerbate vulnerability and stress to the point where all
roads seem forever closed on respectable work, profit and respect. Therefore,
creating alternatives through schooling, jobs and a welfare safety net will
reduce temptation.
.
Peer Pressure and the
Search for Belonging
No matter what, young men and all people
are looking to be part of society. Because of lack of belonging elsewhere, many
young men seeking identity, security, belonging or companionship can find it
within a criminal group. Over the period of time what may seemed wrong no
longer seems wrong to the young man because he is accepting the group. Through
meaningful communities, sports and programs, counselings, education and
rewarding jobs a young man can get the same belonging that he was looking for,
but through non-criminal activity
Trauma, Violence, and
Substance Misuse
When regularly exposed to acts of
violence it may influence how one views perceived threats or conflicts.
Exposure to trauma may result in fear, anger, reactivity, difficulty with
trust, among other possibilities. Substance use issues, in particular, may
contribute to impaired reasoning, less control, and potentially increased risk.
Although these experiences can explain
many behaviour patterns, the responsibility for committing acts to harm another
cannot be mitigated by either it.
The identified root causes of this
behaviour should focus on preventative strategies to avoid it, not as validation
for it.
Personal Choice and
Responsibility
Environment does form people, but it
does not erase people. The two people involved might encounter the exact same
negative event, but they make completely different choices as result. A given
person will, at some point make the conscious decision of steal, hurt someone,
or lie, or do nothing and walk away.
People should be held accountable for
they victims and society are entitled to be safe.
To be fair to both sides we as society
are obligated to fix all that increased the chance, people remain responsible
for their decisions.
Can a Criminal Change?
Yes. A criminal history does not forever
identify a person. Tools of rehabilitation include education, job training,
counselings and treatment of addictions, when required, positive associations
and steady work as well as, fair and adequate opportunity to become a
contributing citizen. Rehabilitation is not a concept of "selling yourself
out", rather it is a responsibility taken to prevent future damage and
create safer communities.
Conclusion
What makes one into a criminal then? A
painful collision of environment, poverty, violence, peer influence, trauma,
addiction and failure to obtain support on multiple occasions is typical, but
no society should conclude that any person's history irrevocably defines their
present or future for them; personal responsibility is ultimately part of the
story, not mere happenstance. Pure punishment or pure excuse is not the
solution to crime; the solution is justice combined with prevention,
rehabilitation, responsibility and opportunity.
A Final Thought
“Do not only ask what a
person did. Ask what shaped the path—and what can prevent the next step toward
crime.”
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