Social Reasons
Most young people who end up in prison was excluded from school so
they lack education and qualifications
Law breaking may give them an adrenaline rush and a feeling of
importance
Abusive and violent parents and broken homes may provide poor role
models and leave children ignorant of acceptable behaviour
Hanging around the streets and estates looking for something to do
leads to boredom
Drug, gambling or alcohol addiction may be financed through
shoplifting, burglary and prostitution or some other form of criminal
activity.
Environmental Reasons
During times of high unemployment – crime rates rise. People need
money to survive
Gang rivalry in neighbourhoods, has led more people to carry knives
and guns which leads to more trouble
Crime rates among those who suffer from overcrowded housing and
deprived backgrounds are high
People commit crimes because of where they live, they may be living
in poverty or deprivation and commit crimes in order to survive.
An uncared for environment does not encourage responsible
behaviour
Psychological Reasons
Criminologists say that the majority of people in prison are
suffering from mental illness or psychological problems
Some people say that human nature is naturally selfish and
greedy and some will use any method to obtain wealth and
power.
Many criminologists believe that violence on television can
influence people to try to copy it