Poverty and Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods

Government records have shown that the most disadvantaged 5% of society are 100 times more likely to have multiple problems, including police contact and substance abuse, than the most advantaged 50% in society.

Thus, one explanation of why some people turn to crime is that it's due to upbringing in poverty or a disadvantaged neighbourhood.

This theory is most often associated with crimes such as theft, violence and anti-social behaviour. Theft is probably best explained with this theory, because those who are in poverty may need to steal to have money to buy necessities. 

Study: Wikstrom and Tafel conducted a cross-sectional study of 2000 Year 10 students (aged 14-15) from Peterborough. It was a self-report study using questionnaires and criminal records to see why people might offend. The research found that 45% of males and 30.6% of females in the study had committed at least one of the following crimes: vandalism, shoplifting, violence, car theft and burglary. Other findings included that victims of crime were also more likely to be offenders, especially where violence was concerned, and that there are considered to be 3 types of offenders:

1. Propensity-induced (commit because they want to)
2. Lifestyle-dependent (commit because they feel they have to)
3. Situationally-limited (commit very rarely)