Collectivist And Individualist Views On The Cause Of Crime

The causes of crime are complex, Collectivists believe that acceptable ways to reduce crime, is to address the social conditions in which the conditions for crime are created, things such as, a more equal society, improved work opportunities and effective housing will make crime less of an attraction. If people are in a stable job, providing for their family and are content with life, they could be less motivated to break the law. Individualists focus on individual values’ or absence of as the motive why people commit crimes. In the long run, if someone chooses to commit a crime, they are accountable for their own actions. If they are caught, they should face the consequences. Individualists consider that if punishments were tougher and the courts and police had stronger authorities, there would be fewer crimes. They believe that society needs stronger reprimands and clearer rules to decrease criminal behaviour. Latest governments agree that there are primary causes of crime. It is the government's job to tackle crime;

A persons’ personality is made up of different characteristics such as, being humorous, compassionate, self-obsessive, outgoing, shy, aggressive etc… These are things that influence our behaviour in predicable ways. An increase of certain personality traits like, being aggressive, impulsive, easily influenced, no fear/understanding of consequences, make people more disposed to crime. People with personality disorders are even more disposed to crime. Personality disorders are mental health illnesses that affect how people cope with their feelings and how they communicate with other people. They usually develop in late adolescence and early childhood. There is no fixed reason why people get them, it is a mixture of environment and genetics, evidence suggest that they are linked to childhood sexual abuse, neglect and physical violence (Warner & Wilkins,