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The Problem Of Criminal Behavior

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Crime is something that impacts everyone whether directly as a victim or indirectly through societal and economical cost. By understanding the causes of criminal behavior it may be possible to change some of the factors and eliminate some criminal behavior. However, it is not simple, and understanding the behavior of the criminal does not necessarily eliminate criminal behavior. The roots of criminal behavior have been heavily debated. During the eighteenth century social philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham (1748-1833) began to embrace the human behavior was a result of rational thought process. People choose to act when, after weighing the cost and benefits will bring them an increase in pleasure and a reduction of pain. It stands to believe that criminal behavior could be eliminated or controlled if law violators could endure the pain of the punishment exceeding the benefit of the crime.
At the beginning of the twentieth century there have been efforts to link physiological factors such as skull size or skin color to criminal behavior. Age is often a large determinate of criminal behavior. Most initial offenders tend to be younger often in their teens or early twenties. Criminal activity then decreases as age increases. Not all crimes fit this pattern however, fraud and other crimes like white collar crimes, that require more thought and planning are often committed by older individuals.
When choosing a crime, the individual may not commit the crime the

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