Are the Poverty Stricken More Victimized or Commit More Crime than the Rich?
Shavon Harrison
Com 220
May 2, 2010
Jodi Galvin
While Geographic regions within the US have different characteristics and therefore lead to differing levels of both crime and poverty, evidence greatly suggests that increases in poverty lead to increased violent crime..
Does poverty constitute crime? Growing up in Charlotte and living in some of the most poverty stricken neighborhoods, all I heard was different stories of criminal activities. What we will discuss in this paper is the rate of reported crimes in the richer cities verses the poorer cities, the crime mapping in the Charlotte area. Will more police presence in the community mean less crime? I will also go into international statistics to answer the question, “Does poverty make crime? Poverty either causes or adds to just about every other social ill, including hunger, injustice and a lack of health, education, shelter and more. Poverty keeps people from getting a good education, which in turn keeps them from having a good job. Poverty is a main catalyst for slavery and human trafficking, because people feel trapped into selling themselves or their children to get money to survive. Poverty keeps people living on the streets without adequate health care or roofs over their heads.
People who have plenty of connections and resources such as relationships and money are far less likely to struggle personally with these issues. They may deal with illiteracy, but they have the help of schools and other educational services. They may have health problems, but they can usually afford the care they need. If they are accused of a crime, they can afford legal counsel. Because poverty is often hidden in Western culture, it makes it hard for many of us to relate. We tend to avoid even the most poverty-stricken areas of our own cities because we think they’re the “bad areas” of town. So whether the