What is the nurture argument for crime?
From the effects of drugs, to peer pressure, to difficult upbringings, there are many theories about the causes of crime. Different theories focus on the choices of individuals or on social circumstances.
The nurture argument suggests that factors in society and the environment people grow up in will make some people more likely to commit crime. These factors include the following:
- poverty
- family
- peer pressure
- use of alcohol/drugs
Criminological theories
Criminological theories which look to the environmental situation as the cause of crime include:
- social disorganisation – disorganised communities cause crime due to there being few social controls and, as a result, a criminal culture emerges
- differential association/subculturalism – crime is learned through association with criminals especially where some forms of criminal activity are seen as acceptable
