Writers Ramble

The Poor ?
The British author, former Editor in Chief of The Observer and generally acclaimed Will Hutton stated “Unemployment is the single most important cause of poverty and plays a key role in provoking family breakdown, social distress and the growth of criminality.” A comment which can hardly be disagreed with, one which talks not only of modern life but that of centuries old. In 1869 James Greenwood (The seven curses of London) reported how children from over crowded housing of the poor or those living on the streets drifted into crime because they had to find a way to survive. He wrote “.......they have an ingrained conviction that it is you who are wrong, not them. That you are wrong in the first place in appropriating all the good things the world affords, leaving none for them but what they steal.” It is surely an unarguable fact that crime and poverty are linked in an unbreakable chain, that unemployment causes poverty and so the recurring pattern expands.
It is proposed that there are three main links between unemployment and crime namely Survival; every human being has a natural survival instinct from birth, a parent will always provide for a hungry child even if it is through theft. A woman will prostitute herself for food and/or money, while young adults use theft to satisfy peer pressure with overpriced designer labels. Boredom; for the unemployed there is always an element of boredom and isolation, the teenager who has no money to partake in the activities of his associates feels isolated and frustrated. These feelings can and often result in destructive and criminal behaviour, the joining of gangs, disrespect for themselves,others and their surroundings. Though turning to 'gang culture' or running in packs is not a new thing, back in 1851 Henry Mayhew (London labour and the London poor) wrote of the young pickpocket, he could not obtain another job and after loosing some of his few possessions he met up with a gang of boys in a similar circumstance to himself. Once a child had started on the criminal ladder there was peer pressure to keep him there. Exclusion/devaluation; Since man lived in caves and hunted for food it has been expected that 'he' would provide for his family, an archaic theory that still exists today. In a modern and materialistic society, one where levels of unemployment are high and people are too readily judged by their community status and possessions it can be harder than ever for 'him' to provide. In an attempt to maintain their manhood during this time of inability to provide some manifest a militant and menacing behaviour as a result of their feeling devalued or considering their family excluded.


The Overheated?
Charles Montesquieu (1689-1755) political philosopher of in the age of enlightenment believed that those living in a cold climate would have their body fibres constricted, show undaunted and brazen characteristics, that they were unlikely to be of a crafty or cautious nature. Characteristics that see crimes more likely to be of a distanced nature, such as vandalism and theft. While conversely those in hot climates would have their body fibres expanded, showing characteristics of a anxious and impassioned nature, more affected by attraction of amusement or malice where crimes are higher in proportion of an intimate nature, crimes of manslaughter and, murder. That these characteristics where not in bred that moving from a hot to a cold climate would make natural physical changes and thus show the opposite traits to those previously displayed.

The Associated ?
The theory of links place on crime and poverty are hundreds of years old, as far back as the 2nd Century, Roman Emporer Marcus Aurelius (161 – 180) told us that “Poverty was the Mother of crime.” By the end of the 18th Century both crime and poverty were rising, as people moved from rural areas into towns the crime rate grew rapidly, it is not therefore surprising that the 19th century criminologists, especially those of a collectivism nature generally considered poverty to be the main cause of crime. Though Dr Edwin Harden (Sunderland of Indiana University) was in disagreement suggesting that poverty was not the cause of crime, that it simply determined its nature, that crime is learned by association.


The Restricted?
According to Bishop (American sub-cultures in the 1950's. 2007) It could be argued that like no other time in history the 1950's normative American family consisted of an employed father, a homemaker mother and a number of happy, submissive and obedient children all living together in the suburbs of a larger city. That whilst this was a restrictive criteria, it was desirable for the 'model' family. The disruption caused to the 'model' family by the conscription of fathers to world war II and the need for mothers to join the workforce had left a void for children to roam free, this new freedom sometimes viewed as abandonment, coupled with uncertainty for the future and changes to the 1950's film industry saw the beginnings of a whole new culture. A never before seen 'youth culture' was born, created from the heroism shown in popular and recurring movie themes of conflicting cultures and authority rejecting adolescents. The juvenile delinquency previously considered restricted to the few was now spreading to all classes and locales. Aformula which has remained and expanded to the extent that youths today spend time together rather than with their families, have their own languages and sets of rules that have to be upheld and defended. A 'private club' with passwords and codes constantly evolving ensuring the absence or understanding of adults.

The Fearless?
A driver who left a teaching assistant with multiple injuries in a high-smash on the wrong side of a dual carriageway has been jailed. But the judge who sentenced him, Mr Justice Pitchers, criticised the 18-month jail sentence he was forced to give Sean Hart as “woefully inadequate”. Sean Hart aged 21 pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving without insurance. He has a number of previous convictions for theft, violence and robbery, Mt Justice Pitchers told him he was ruining his own life and had now ruined someone else's. He was constrained by sentencing guidelines. Hart is likely to be released from jail in nine months. He was also disqualified from driving for five years. (The News Shopper, Feb 2008)

Violent offenders who break the conditions of their parole will be sent back to jail for no more than 28 days as part of Government plans to deal with over crowded prisons. (The Telegraph, May 2007)

As the curtain goes down on the London Shakespeare Workshop's production Blacking Lago, Darren Raymond delights in the audience's enthusiastic applause. After a decade spent on the streets with gun gangs, using and dealing drugs, and “up to a lot of bad stuff”, he was introduced to acting while serving time in Brixton prison. If it had not have happened, he says, he would probably be dead or inside for a long stretch. Now he is an up-and-coming performer, currently filming his own script Shooting the Score and preparing to go on tour in February with another LSW show, Black Atlas. (New Statesman Nov, 2006)

When punishment is not befitting of the crime it is no deterrent, without the fear of hard retribution knowing that in realistic terms there is no control over their actions and that a life in jail that can offer opportunities of education and training not available to them on the 'outside' criminals are not only free to behave as they choose but almost encouraged to do so in order to gain expensive resources most people cannot afford.

The Delinquent?
Child delinquency is believed to have two main causes, the learning from others and the lack of suitable punishment at an early age. In considering the first, learning from others we think of Edwin Sunderland and his theory of 'Differential Association' a theory proposing that through interaction with others individuals learn the attitudes, motives, techniques and values for criminal behaviour. How it become increasingly easier socially for them to commit crimes. A theory focusing on how people become criminals rather than why. When we look at the second, we find ourselves faced with modern rising problem of undisciplined children. Whether they be from single working parent families were support is rare or the model family who feel they are restrained from slapping a child for fear of child abuse claims, or those who theorise that it wasn't naughty just “Johnny” playing, so no need for admonishment. Whatever the reason why children receive little or no discipline the outcome is their having a general lack of respect, which in turn becomes familiarity, contempt and defiance that their actions can or should be perceived wrong.

Working on the theories that poverty creates an unstable community (Shaw & Mckay 1942), that unstable employment causes despair (Julius 1987) and poverty makes crime pay (Hawley 1950) then a poor economic state can only increase crime levels. When a country suffers economic decline employment slows, lack of employment causes delinquency & poverty and it's residents become anxious and perturbed. A society whose people feel discord and disarray becomes rebellious.