To effectively reduce crime, it’s important that we recognize why people commit crimes. I have asked myself this question for many years throughout my law enforcement career and in my humanitarian work, where I go into prison and provide counseling to hundreds of inmates. While there is not a single answer to why people commit crimes, there are different factors that often lead to becoming a criminal.
Factors That Lead to Criminal Behavior
One of the most common reasons inmates tell me is because they associated with “the wrong crowd.” Many inmates refer to peer pressure or the need to fit in as the main reason why they participated in crimes.
Other inmates explained that they came from a broken household where substance abuse, instability and violence were common. These inmates sought to create a surrogate family through joining a gang of their peers, so that they would experience acceptance and self-worth. Since gangs are synonymous with crime, many said that they committed crimes to be accepted into the gang.
The Role of Home Life in Why People Commit Crimes
From my experience, I think that negative external influences and absent fathers are two of the leading factors in why people commit crimes. On a recent prison visit, I asked how many inmates had a father at home when they were growing up. Over 90% of the inmates did not have a father present.
Fathers have an important role in maintaining accountability, stability, and protection in the lives of their children. If parents do not raise their children, the streets will.
It is a common theme I hear from inmates. While mothers have an important role in raising children, fathers are instrumental in child development and can lead them away from committing crime.
Other Factors Influencing Criminal Activity
Children exposed to criminal activity inside their homes are at a high risk of duplicating that behavior. Learned behavior results from repeated exposure to criminal activity, and criminal acts can become normal with regular exposure.
Other factors that are connected to why people commit crimes includes substance abuse and addiction. As a police officer, I have arrested many individuals who committed crimes due to substance abuse. Often, these arrests involved feeding a drug addiction through robbery or theft. Drug addiction can also lead to impaired judgement and the desire to commit crime.
Another factor that I saw as a police officer was mental health challenges. Impulsive control issues and untreated mental illness can lead to violence.
In law enforcement, I saw cases where someone had a mental health crisis and was not aware of the violent actions they were committing to someone else. For instance, emotional triggers such as anger, resentment, jealousy or emotional pain can result in someone committing crime, especially a violent crime.
I once conducted a prison interview with an inmate who was arrested for attempted murder. This case was unique because the inmate was allegedly the victim of a sexual assault and shot her assailant two weeks later out of anger.
There is not a single answer to why people commit crimes, but people engage in criminal activity for various personal, social and other reasons. Based on my personal experience in the field, it is clear that family instability, peer pressure, substance abuse and perceived low consequences are all factors that lead to criminal activity.
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