The nation’s per capita income has steadily grown, and educational opportunities
have expanded, but its crime rate has also increased. In particular, juvenile delinquency is growing rapidly. If conditions are improving, why isn’t criminality on the decline? The crime itself and its punishment are both costly. It not only destroys individual lives but entire families. The bill for confinement is also getting more expensive, and taxpayers are complaining about their money being used to support ‘welfare for lawbreakers.’ What is the key factor in criminality? Genetics? Family problems? Social alienation? Peer pressure? Cultural upheaval caused by the switch-over from a traditional to a modern society? Drugs and alcohol? Lack of individual conscience and responsibility? The glorification of violence in the media? The phenomenon of copy-cat crimes? While the cause of criminality is still inexplicable, the cure is necessarily even more so. Is better education the answer? Harsher punishment? More intrusive social intervention?
