Case Studies with Questions and Answers
Chapter 03: Why Do People Commit Crime?
John lies on the couch in his parent's home, pondering the direction that his life had taken. A high school senior, he had no definite plans or long term goals. John had always been socially awkward, and had not developed any friendships during high school. Though he and his parents' relationship were cordial, it was not a particularly close relationship which continued to get strained as it became evident that John had no plan for the future. College did not seem to be an option for John, as his grades in high school were barely enough to pass his high school coursework. With no job or hobby to occupy his time, John often was lonely and depressed. To pass the time, John periodically went to the local shopping mall to see if he could shoplift some items which could later be sold with the proceeds buying a small amount of marijuana. John did not need to steal the items to obtain money, as his parents were always generous with any money that he would ask for. Rather, he enjoyed shoplifting as a way to bring some excitement to an otherwise dull life. One Saturday night, John was exiting a small shop with stolen DVD's under his jacket when a loss prevention officer detained him. When the loss prevention officer asks John why he would risk jail for a handful of DVD's, he answered "What does it matter if I go to jail, I have nothing to look forward to at home".