Criminals

Criminal state of mind
Criminality
Criminal motivation

Nature

Criminal disorders may stem from any or all of the following factors: criminals have usually not adequately internalized the conditioning standards of behaviour which restrain well-adjusted people from expressing anti-social or criminal impulses – they do not possess the ability to say 'no' to themselves, therefore are consumed by their own selfishness; they have chronically low self-esteem, in which is manifest the idea that they themselves are worth little and thus any effort at self-improvement is futile; and they are usually isolated, encapsulated people with the loveless, alienated insensitivity that allows them to operate at a considerable psychological distance from their victims, a state of separative consciousness which atrophies the capacity to experience the humanity of those it victimizes.

Background

The global significance of criminals emerged alongside the rise of urbanization and state formation, as societies recognized the disruptive impact of unlawful individuals on social order. Historical records from ancient Mesopotamia, Rome, and China document early efforts to identify and manage criminal behavior. In the 19th and 20th centuries, international cooperation and criminological research deepened understanding of criminal networks, highlighting their transnational reach and prompting coordinated legal and policy responses worldwide.

Incidence

Criminal activity remains a pervasive issue worldwide, affecting societies across all continents and socio-economic strata. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, global homicide rates have remained persistently high, with over 400,000 intentional homicides recorded annually. Organized crime, cybercrime, and violent offenses continue to challenge law enforcement and judicial systems, undermining public safety and economic stability in both developed and developing nations.
In 2023, Ecuador experienced a dramatic surge in criminal violence, particularly in the city of Guayaquil, where gang-related homicides and kidnappings escalated sharply. This wave of crime prompted the government to declare a state of emergency and deploy military forces.

Claim

An ethos of criminality has permeated all sectors of society, including leading businessmen, police, solicitors and doctors, not just those faced with mass unemployment and poverty.

20% of violent crime is committed by a very small number of men who had difficult births and suffered parental rejection in their early childhood.

Crime is a proxy for disaffection and the degeneration of our adherence to universal morals – the voice inside us that says a criminal act is wrong. To commit a crime is to say you are not a stakeholder in the society to which you belong; and plainly there are very many more non-stakeholders than there used to be. What a doubling of crime in the last decade really means is that there are twice as many people who can explain away to themselves why they can steal; that their need is deserved and their act excusable; that the object of their attentions can deal with what has happened – that he, she, or it is not "a victim".

Counter-claim

The issue of criminals is vastly exaggerated and not an important problem at all. Most people live their entire lives without encountering crime, and sensationalized media coverage only fuels unnecessary fear. Society’s resources would be better spent addressing real challenges like education and healthcare, rather than obsessing over a minority of lawbreakers. Focusing on criminals distracts us from progress and perpetuates a culture of paranoia rather than one of growth and opportunity.