There are many who hold the belief that the existence of criminals originates from social issues and bad living conditions, whereas others claim that bad personalities are the cause of crime. From my perspective, although it is true that crime stemming from social problems and poverty is understandable, I still believe that criminal behavior results from negative characters.
On the one hand, the idea that poverty and societal issues are two of the reasons for crime is valid to some extent. Proponents of this view argue that the poor, besides being victimized by societal issues, cannot afford to pay for necessities in their lives; therefore, they have a tendency to make a living through illegal activities like burglary. Due to costly living expenses, people need to make an attempt to find ways to overcome hunger and sustain the lives of their families, especially their school-aged children, who need to go to school and have adequate food. Furthermore, social prejudices might have a negative influence on the poor since they tend to act without thinking about the consequences, which means they are often in trouble for contravening the law to gain their purposes.
On the other hand, I side with people saying that a person’s character determines their criminal tendencies. It is a fact that people who were well-educated at an early age and have been living in a healthy environment might have good personalities, whilst others living in a family without parental care are more likely to lack behavioral control, which results in them violating the law. Moreover, these people have the tendency to act impulsively and do not mind whether it has a negative impact on others or not. Take naughty children as an example; some families may overindulge their children and even spoil them by meeting every demand and requirement of theirs, like excessive allowance, treats, or screen time. Unfortunately, this overindulgence of parenting makes these children feel like they are entitled to everything they want, so when their needs are not met, they will resort to theft or violence to achieve their desires. Consequently, the number of criminals is on the rise, which directly affects individuals as well as society.
In conclusion, while the argument for crime comes from poverty and social problems, I suppose that the personalities of each person play an indispensable role in criminal behaviors.