Poverty Fosters Crime

Scholars disagree about how much poverty affects crime rates, if it does at all. However overwhelming evidences proves that poverty actually does affect the rate of crime in a community. There is a direct correlation between poverty and criminality (Kelly, 2000; Block and Heineke, 1975). Becker's economic theory of crime (1968) assumes that people resort to crime only if the costs of committing the crime are lower than the benefits gained. Those living in poverty, therefore, have a much greater chance of committing property crime (Kelly, 2000, Chiu and Madden, 1998) than the general population. Property crime is defined as burglary, larceny, or theft (O'Connor, 2005). In his 1968 paper, Becker used statistical and economic analysis to determine the optimal control of crime. Scholars disagree about how much poverty affects crime rates, if it does at all. However overwhelming evidences proves that poverty actually does affect the rate of crime in a community. There is a direct correlation between poverty and criminality (Kelly, 2000; Block and Heineke, 1975). Becker's economic theory of crime (1968) assumes that people resort to crime only if the costs of committing the crime are lower than the benefits gained. Those living in poverty, therefore, have a much greater chance of committing property crime (Kelly, 2000, Chiu and Madden, 1998) than the general population. Property crime is defined as burglary, larceny, or theft (O'Connor, 2005). In his 1968 paper, Becker used statistical and economic analysis to determine the optimal control of crime.