Crime causation theories can vary greatly. Some people believe that concentrated poverty is the cause of crime. Others believe that criminal behavior is generally the result of negative reactions to ordinary human characteristics. There are also theories that suggest that substance abuse and mental health problems are largely responsible for criminal offenses.
Poverty concentration is one theory for what causes crime. People who support this line of thinking tend to believe that criminality is the result of deteriorating communities. Those with money and education tend to neglect and retreat from areas where people have less money and education. This results in a concentration of people with insufficient resources and life skills. The environments in which these individuals live and the influences to which they are regularly exposed are believed to steer many of them toward criminal activity.
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While some people support complicated theories for crime causation, others believe criminal behavior is easily explained by human characteristics. Most people, at some point in life, experience desire, jealousy, and anger. Most people choose to deal with these human characteristics in a legal manner. Some criminologists believe that criminals simply allow their actions to be directed by these feelings.