What are some of the main factors for a country to have a significantly low crime rate?
Haadiya Fayyaz Section: 126
Countries that enforce strong laws often have very low crime rates.
This is because such laws ensure that the offenders always face the consequences of their actions.
Example: Countries such as Finland have very strong rules and regulations which accounts for their very low crime rates
Countries with high employment rates often have meager crime rates as the residents do not feel the need to commit illegal acts to afford their daily needs.
The unemployment rates in Japan are very low which is why the crime rates are also significantly low in Japan.
When a majority of the population of the country is well educated, the crime rates in the country are also very minimal.
Access to education reduces the chances of unemployment as well as ensures that people know why it is wrong to commit crimes.
Gender equality also contributes to low crime rates as gender-based crimes are reduced due to all genders getting equal opportunities.
Religious factors also contribute to low crime rates.
Many times, minorities of a certain religion can face prejudice from the majority of the religion that the residents of the country follow.
This may have to do with false stereotypes that may lead people to think falsely regarding a religion they might know nothing about.
Countries that provide mental health support also experience very low crime rates.
This is because many times, crimes may be committed by a person who is mentally ill and is not diagnosed. Therefore the said person may not be receiving any treatment and may not be in the correct mental state of knowing what he is doing is wrong.
Good infrastructure also leads to low crime rates in a country.
A country that has a great amount of slums for instance India, might experience more crime rates than a country with a better infrastructure and living spaces such as Japan.
Gun laws are also very vital when it comes to contributing to a country's crime rates.
For example: countries that give access to guns to their residents such as the United States have higher crime rates than countries with effective gun laws such Qatar.
Websites for more information on crime rates:
1)United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) - Global Crime Trends Reports
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/statistics/reports-on-world-crime-trends.html
2) The Peninsula Qatar:
https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/29/07/2024/doha-ranked-third-safest-city-in-the-world#:~:text=Qatar's%20consistently%20low%20crime%20rate,of%20its%20residents%20and%20visitors.
3) National Library of Medicine - Psychiatric Illness and Criminality:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537064/
4) Department of Sentencing Policy:
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For example: Having a good amount of street lights for instance will increase visibility which in turn will reduce criminal activities as there are more chances of the criminals getting seen.