The causes of crime

No one knows why crime occurs. The oldest theory, based on theology and ethics, when crime and sin were considered to be the same thing, is that criminals are perverse persons who deliberately commit crimes or who do so at the instigation of the devil or other evil spirits who possess those who don’t conform to social norms or follow rules. People are not bad by nature, but sometimes simply too timid to resist the vicious demons that play on their weaknesses and cut their bond with the source of their Power. Humans are good by nature, but not everyone is made of steel so as to defend themselves against the demonic forces – destructive emotions and detrimental attitudes, such as fear, ignorance, hatred, worry, revenge, envy, attachment, greed, lust, doubt, prejudice, pride, vanity, impatience, sloth, discrimination, arrogance, ambition, addiction, gluttony, criticism, blame, anxiety, frustration and so on. We all get attacked by those faulty ethereal goblins of our minds and hearts, but most of us succeed to resist them. It’s easy to act on anger, greed, revenge but it takes courage and strength to determine that there is something more important than that.

There are two core reasons why weakness prevails with some people: lack of faith and imbalance. People sometimes don’t believe enough in the power of their own internal weapons against inner demons such as courage, tolerance, understanding, forgiveness, mercy, honesty, sincerity, integrity, honor, modesty, humbleness, generosity, love, compassion, kindness, detachment, patience, self-discipline, temperance, etc. As a result of not trusting inner resources, there is no enough motivation to develop them and use them.

There is no balance between physical skills, mental calmness and emotional state. Most criminals are simply too strong physically, pumping up the body muscles, but not enough the mental and emotional muscles. The reason why their strength becomes weakness is because they are not balanced.

The causes of crime are analyzed by many scientists – lawyers, sociologists, psychologists, economists, biologists. However, none of the existing theories give an exhaustive explanation of all types of crime.

Trying to explain the crimes biologists searched for natural causes due to the tendency of some people to crime.

Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso in 1870 came to the conclusion that some people are born with criminal tendencies. In his view, criminal types can be determined by the skull. Lombroso didn’t deny the influence of society on the development of criminal behavior, but believed that most criminals biologically degenerate.

In the second half of the 20^th century, attempts were made to link the criminal tendencies of a certain set of chromosomes in the genetic code. There is speculation that among the perpetrators of serious crimes, a disproportionate share of people with extra Y chromosomes. A number of studies conducted in prisons of an intensive regime, obtained a result showing that such deviation was one of hundred of prisoners, compared with one per thousand for the general population. However, studies on larger tracts of population showed that men with abnormal set of chromosomes are not more likely to commit violent acts than with the ordinary set.

Searching for the origin of antisocial personality disorders and their influence over crime led to studies of twins and adopted children in the 1980s. Identical twins have the exact same genetic makeup. Researchers found that identical twins were twice as likely to have similar criminal behavior than fraternal twins who have similar but not identical genes, just like any two siblings. Other research indicated that adopted children had greater similarities of crime rates to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents. These studies suggested a genetic basis for some criminal behavior.

Answer the following questions:

1) Is there any unanimous decision concerning the causes of crime?

2) Explain the main ideas of the theory based on theology and ethics.

3) Why does weakness prevail with some people?

4) How do you explain the tendency of some people to crime?

5) What did the study of twins show?

TASK 26. Replace words and word combinations in brackets by their English equivalents from the text above.

1. The oldest theory, based on theology and ethics, when crime and sin considered to be the same thing, is that criminals are (порочные люди) who (преднамеренно совершают преступления) or do so (по наущению дьявола и других злых духов) who possess those who (не приспосабливается к социальным нормам) or follow rules. 2. Not everyone can defend himself against the demonic forces - (разрушительных эмоций) and (вредных отношений), such as (страх, невежество, ненависть, беспокойство, месть, зависть, привязанность, жадность, похоть, сомнение, предрассудки, тщеславие, нетерпение, лень, дискриминация, высокомерие, амбиции, обжорство, критицизм, обвинение, тревога, разочарование). 3. People sometimes don’t believe enough in the power of their own internal weapons against inner demons such as (храбрость, терпение, понимание, прощение, жалость, честность, искренность, неподкупность, честь, скромность, смирение, щедрость, любовь, сострадание, доброта, чуждость искушениям, спокойствие, самодисциплина, умеренность). 4. Most criminals are simply too strong physically, (накачивая мышцы физического тела), but not enough the mental and emotional muscles. 5. However, none of the existing theories give an (исчерпывающее объяснение всем типам преступлений). 5. Trying to explain the crimes, biologists search for natural causes due to the (склонности некоторых людей к совершению преступлений). 6. Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso in 1870 (пришел к заключению) that (некоторые люди рождаются с преступными наклонностями). 6. Lombroso (не отрицал влияния общества) on the development of criminal behavior, but believed that (большинство преступников биологически выродившиеся люди). 7. (Однояйцовые близнецы) have (одинаковый генетический набор).