A Social psychologist and lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Wiafe Akenteng, has attributed the increasing spate of crimes to the increasing population in the country.
According to Dr. Akenteng, the loss in human relations also influences the increase in crime in the country.
“As we have more people and we become more urbanized, we turn to lose some and some of the people get frustrated. But for human life, even one is important.”
Dr.Wiafe Akenteng
He further averred that in curbing the crime rate, society has a responsibility of helping shape individuals since they partake in these activities. He also stated that society must also ensure that effective measures are put in place to curtail this issue.
However, Dr. Akenteng noted that when society loses track of this, it is going to have more problems especially looking at the fact that the nation’s systems to check these crime rates are not very strong.
“What we need to do is that, as we become more metropolitan, as we become more individuals in terms of moving from our community and our families to other places, as we struggle, we need to have a type of society that takes care of us in terms of values, socialization, from the homes to the community to the schools at the national level.”
Dr.Wiafe Akenteng
Deterrent punishment regime needed
Dr. Akenteng further indicated that a deterrent punishment regime is needed to likely curb the increased rate in crime.
“The inculcation, education and all that are important but without that the rules, it will not be effective. If people know that there is the likelihood that they will be caught and arrested and also go to court, that in itself, is a form of deterrent.”
Dr.Wiafe Akenteng
Touching on the role of families in the shaping of individuals, Dr. Akenteng stated that, whatever values parents inculcate in the children- the form of parenting and the type of training, contributes significantly to the nature of the individual.
“If for nothing at all, the family is the first institution for every child whether biological, foster or a combination of both. I must agree that you won’t get every child to follow the training by their parents. But to a greater extent, if we pay attention to them they are more likely to go by the training.”
Dr.Wiafe Akenteng
Families contribute to individual behavior
Also contributing to the discussion, Healthy Home Advocate, Kevin Amos Annan, stated that to the extent that crime impacts people, and people come from homes or families, there is a basis to attribute the spate of crime to families as well.
He asserted that when individuals get to a certain stage, they are required to act responsibly and therefore they cannot blame it on a system.
“They cannot blame it on a system that is not supporting them necessarily because within the same system, you will find individuals whose conditions maybe worse than you but are not doing what you have done.”
Kevin Amos Annan
He further averred that the lack of resources available to an individual also influences their participation in criminal activities. However, he stated that people with the necessary resources are also committing crimes.
He therefore suggested that an individual will need an internalized value system that will regulate their own behavior;and further attributed the crime rate to the absence of measures to reform individuals from committing criminal activities.
“You will have sanction regimes but it may not be deterrent enough;because you may have some individuals who want to test it.”
Kevin Amos Annan
