CaptainF
The Professional Poster
The source of criminality is all stemmed from Scarface's Lil' Friend.
The source of criminality
- Thread starter Truronian
- Start date
jalapeno_dude
AKA Panda Judo Eel
Peers would be included in environment. Basically, environment represents your current situation and status.Birdjaguar said:
Ok.jalapeno_dude said:
BTW, when I was a school teacher (a long time ago) I would have weighted the factors much as you have. Having kids was the first big shock to that way of thinking and that has been followed up by an increasing number of studies that link gentics to behavior and personality.
What does everyone think about the possibility of curing immorality? Is drugging people to stop them offending ok, or too big brother-ish?
MrCynical
Deity
Well, assuming this is possible, which I'm fairly sure it isn't, then I certainly have no objection to the use of drugs to prevent reoffending. It seems less "big-brotherish" than sticking them in jail. As for doing it preemptively I'm less sure, though it would certainly have a lot of practical advantages.
In practice thugh I don't think this will be an issue. In my opinion genes are not a direct cause of criminality, except in a few cases where they result in such basic changes to the brain that the person cannot conceive of right and wrong, and the difference between them. Anyone who understands this basic concept is responsible for their own choices and actions, and cannot fob responsibility off onto some genetic predisposition. The source of criminality I regard as basic human nature; the desire to gain personal advantage. When someone acts on this desire to the extent of inflicting great harm on others for their on selfish ends, you get a criminal.
Dann
Green bug
IMO criminality arises when the following conditions are present:
1) A gap between rich and poor exists, and it is plain for all to see. (I say this because in the dark days of Maoism, and even today in the most backward inland Chinese villages there is no crime! Why? Because everyone around is uniformly dirt poor and so there is literally nothing to steal!)
2) The unemployed and disenfranchised feel there is no way out of their present situation. (Poor, thus no education, thus crappy job and living in a slum, thus no money, thus no education again for the next generation. Vicious cycle ad infinitum. Eventually some will start feeling envious and perhaps even vindictive towards society.)
3) Law enforcement is not at 100% coverage, and thus some people think odds are they can do 'something' about their bad situation and get away with it. (Of course 100% police coverage exists only in the cities that I build in city-building games, never in real life. Police efficiency and incorruptibility varies however amongst countries. The best police forces in the world are both feared AND respected by their people.)
4) Environment and peer pressure. Being poor does not equal being a potential criminal. There are honest slum dwellers (as well as crooks in mansions). There are people whose moral fiber prevents them from turning to a life of crime despite their crappy situation in life. I have the utmost respect for those people I see rummaging through garbage bins for stuff to sell, instead of stealing or begging.
If, however, you grew up in an environment where all your neighbors are junkies, hookers, drug pushers, bookies, muggers, etc. then the odds are really, really slim that you'll end up being a paragon of virtue in society.
All the reasons above, however, are trashed when the next reason comes into play:
5) GREED This trumps everything. It can exist anywhere. And there is no distinction between rich or poor. Once someone succumbs to temptation and crosses this line anything is possible. Kidnapping, bank robbing, fraud, extortion, malversation of funds, drug trafficking - all these require a suitable investment. The people who do these are obviously not dirt poor and doing it for survival. They're in it for the huge profits that can be earned for themselves, never mind the harm done to society and other people. THIS is what makes crime impossible to fully eradicate (unless mankind in the future genetically alters everyone and/or adds microchip implants in everyone's brains to control and monitor them).
1) A gap between rich and poor exists, and it is plain for all to see. (I say this because in the dark days of Maoism, and even today in the most backward inland Chinese villages there is no crime! Why? Because everyone around is uniformly dirt poor and so there is literally nothing to steal!)
2) The unemployed and disenfranchised feel there is no way out of their present situation. (Poor, thus no education, thus crappy job and living in a slum, thus no money, thus no education again for the next generation. Vicious cycle ad infinitum. Eventually some will start feeling envious and perhaps even vindictive towards society.)
3) Law enforcement is not at 100% coverage, and thus some people think odds are they can do 'something' about their bad situation and get away with it. (Of course 100% police coverage exists only in the cities that I build in city-building games, never in real life. Police efficiency and incorruptibility varies however amongst countries. The best police forces in the world are both feared AND respected by their people.)
4) Environment and peer pressure. Being poor does not equal being a potential criminal. There are honest slum dwellers (as well as crooks in mansions). There are people whose moral fiber prevents them from turning to a life of crime despite their crappy situation in life. I have the utmost respect for those people I see rummaging through garbage bins for stuff to sell, instead of stealing or begging.
If, however, you grew up in an environment where all your neighbors are junkies, hookers, drug pushers, bookies, muggers, etc. then the odds are really, really slim that you'll end up being a paragon of virtue in society.
All the reasons above, however, are trashed when the next reason comes into play:
5) GREED This trumps everything. It can exist anywhere. And there is no distinction between rich or poor. Once someone succumbs to temptation and crosses this line anything is possible. Kidnapping, bank robbing, fraud, extortion, malversation of funds, drug trafficking - all these require a suitable investment. The people who do these are obviously not dirt poor and doing it for survival. They're in it for the huge profits that can be earned for themselves, never mind the harm done to society and other people. THIS is what makes crime impossible to fully eradicate (unless mankind in the future genetically alters everyone and/or adds microchip implants in everyone's brains to control and monitor them).
PrinceOfLeigh
Wigan, England
I agree with the majority. Criminology is based on many things, differing dependant upon the crime. I think in most financial crimes it is Risk v Reward, and the level at which you'd commit the crime being set by environment & psychological development.
That said, I am always weary of people with large foreheads
That said, I am always weary of people with large foreheads
Shaihulud
Deity
The concept of value, get rid of values and you end up with no criminal, nor anything worth living. Criminal act stems from a ruthless acquisition of value without consideration. The motivation to perform criminal act is greed.
Simon Darkshade
Mysterious City of Gold
A combination of factors involving environment, upbringing, character, human nature and weakness. They should be considered in measures against crime, but should not be held up as a branding reproach to the always important idea of personal responsibility.
