In a legal sense, person of 21 years and above convicted by the court of law for violating the provisions of IPS and CPC is labelled a criminal in our country and the illegal act for which he is convicted is known as crime. Any behavious like pickpocketing, gambling, burglary, robbery, theft, dacoity, rape, kidnapping and abduction attempts at suicide, murder, riots, destroying another’s property, sexual assault, prostitution, cheating, counterfeiting, failure to deposit taxes and revenue, etc. are termed criminal behaviour.
Prevention : The remedy for criminal behaviour demands preventive measures.
The preventive measures involve improve-ment of social factors and environmental conditions that are responsible for the germination and perpetuation of criminal behaviour. The problem is a gigantic one and needs the cooperation of parents, members of the family, neighbourhood, community, school or college authorities, religious heads, police and government officials responsible for the social and psychological environment of the inhabitants of a society.
The following measures may be fruitful in the prevention task:
Since today’s delinquents are tomorrow’s criminals, maximum efforts should be made for the prevention, control and treatment of the identified delinquents.
There is great need for social reforms and breaking social and caste barriers.
The task narrowing the gulf between the rich and the poor, linguistic groups and religious sects should be given priority.
The importance of moral values should be inculcated. There should be an end to the crisis of character threatening the existence of the moral base and legal codes of our society.
The system of education and national planning need re-thinking and re-modification for minimising economic difficulties of our youth and adults.
The problem of unemployment has to be checked and the professional dissatisfaction as well as frustration effecting the vast population of the younger generation should be curbed.
Attempts should be made to minimize undesirable influence of literature, films and other mass media.
The parents, elders, government authorities, social, religious, educational and political leaders should be such that they become ideals of socially desirable behavior.
The society should feel the necessity of providing social and legal justice to its citizens. In case of environmental deprivations and hazards of life, the affected individual should be helped, protected and rehabilitated. Thus, there is a need for modifying the environmental conditions so that one does not fall victim to social and emotional maladjustment or lured by the criminals and drifted by instinctive behavior to commit crimes.
