Various Economic Factors that Influences Crime

The proposition that economic life is fundamental and therefore, has the determining influence upon the social and cultural values is as old as the human civilisation itself. This connotes that economic factors influence the nature and form of all social patterns and control all other aspects of human life.

Thus, criminologists have tried to explain crime in terms of economic conditions through what they called as economic determinism. In the words of Carl Marx (1818-83) economic conditions determine the general character of the social, political and spiritual processes of life and with the change of economic foundations; the entire superstructure is also rapidly transformed.

Those who support this view concentrate on the economic aspect of crime and analyse the impact of economic conditions on criminality. Their assertion that economic forces have been interacting right from the inception of the human society has a historical background. It is well known that in early societies when economic resources were limited, struggle for existence and survival of the fittest was supposed to be the law of nature.

Thereafter, as the society advanced, increase in production yielded surplus as a result of which the system of barter and exchange originated. Gradually, money gained importance in human life so much so that it has now become the sole determining factor of a person’s social status in modem society.

Legal philosophers of all ages have accepted that economic conditions have a direct bearing on crime. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher commented that poverty endangers revolution and crimes originate from poverty. He asserted that crimes are committed not merely for the sake of meeting the necessities of life but also for acquiring superfluous things.

He believed that crimes are mostly committed because of the acquisitive tendency of man and his greed for acquiring surplus wealth. The critics of this view argue that poverty undoubtedly is one of the contributing factors for crime causation but it is not true that necessity always motivates a person to commit crime. In fact, it is the materialistic tendency of man that generates criminality within him.

Thus, the desire to possess articles of luxury prompts him to commit criminal acts if he cannot procure them by legitimate means. It has been rightly observed by Elbert Hubburd that, “criminal is a man who does by illegal means what all the rest of us do legally. In fact, it is the lust for materialistic gain rather than poverty which makes a man criminal”. Commenting on this point Donald Taft observed that crime has been a mere phenomenon of prosperity rather than adversity.

Another Greek philosopher, Plato also believed that human ‘greed’ was the potential cause of crime. In subsequent years, thinkers like Voltaire Rousseau, Beccaria and Bentham also expressed similar views and agreed that economic structure is one of the important causes of criminality.

Poverty gives rise to hunger, misfortune, disease and anger, which destroys the personality of an individual and makes him irresponsible to do undesirable acts. Under the circumstances, he is forced to lend himself into criminality. Therefore, according to these philosophers economic factor has a close bearing on criminality and crime rate rises when poverty increases in times of economic depression.