Cultural and environmental influences from "summary" of The Psychology of Crime by Philip Feldman,Maurice Philip Feldman
This topic discusses how cultural and environmental factors can contribute to criminal behavior. It examines the impact of family dynamics, poverty, peer pressure, and other social influences on the likelihood of committing a crime. It also explores the role of the media and its effect on criminal behavior.- Culture and environment are both strong influencers on criminal behaviour. Different regions have unique conditions that can shape the way in which crime occurs. For example, countries with weak laws often result in higher levels of crime as do societies facing poverty.
- A person's upbringing can also shape their attitude towards crime. It has been suggested that dysfunctionality within the family unit, such as abuse, can lead to an increased risk for delinquency.
- Peer pressure could influence a young person’s willingness to get involved in crime. People we spend time with can easily push us in directions we didn't think we'd go in.
- Societal norms influence the way people think and behave. This affects their view on crime and what is morally acceptable. Factors such as religious and familial values play a role in how someone chooses to act.
- Poverty, unemployment, low educational attainment, racial profiling and neighbourhood strife are some of the underlying issues that leads to criminal activity in communities.
- Economic status affects crime rates - people are more likely to commit crimes if they feel that there are limited career opportunities available to them.
- The media has an impact on our perception of crime too. Sensationalised news stories or certain TV programmes may make us fear certain types of crime more than others, despite there being no real evidence to substantiate this.
- Neighbourhoods with high incidences of drug use might see more crime related to these substances, such as theft and robbery.
- The social construct of gender plays a part here too - research suggests people of a certain sex may be encouraged to exhibit specific characteristics such as aggression or passivity, which could then manifest itself in future criminal behaviour.
- Education also makes a difference; those who lack education may be less knowledgeable about options when it comes to resolving conflict or issues non-violently instead of getting involved in crime.
