Each year, the crime rate increases.

What are the causes of crime and what could be done to prevent this rise in criminal activity?

Crime is an issue of increasing concern around the world, and more money than ever before is being spent on the detection and punishment of criminal activity. The reasons why people commit crime are countless, but drugs and alcohol, social problems and poverty play a major role. To solve these problems, governments can either focus on draconian punishments, or improve employment opportunities, invest in good housing projects and tackle drug and alcohol abuse.

犯罪是世界各国日益关注的问题，在侦查和惩罚犯罪活动方面投入的资金比以往任何时候都多。人们犯罪的原因有很多，但是毒品和酒精，社会问题和贫困起了主要作用。为了解决这些问题，政府可以专注于严厉的惩罚，或者改善就业机会，投资于良好的住房项目，解决药物和酒精滥用问题。

One of the main causes of criminality is the use, sale and trafficking of narcotics. For example, the sale of drugs is organised by armed criminal gangs who illegally traffic drugs and control their business with extreme violence. Drug-related crime does not end there; drug users often steal to fund theft habit, resulting in further acts of petty crime. The social problems connected with crime are said to be the result of single-parent families, absent role models and bad living conditions. The children from these broken families often become criminals because they feel alienated from society. Poverty is also a reason behind crime. When unskilled jobs pay so little and prices are so high, it’s easy to see why some turn to crime for an income.

犯罪的主要原因之一是使用、销售和贩运麻醉品。例如，毒品销售是由武装犯罪团伙组织的，他们非法贩运毒品并以极端暴力控制自己的生意。与毒品有关的犯罪还不止于此;吸毒者经常利用偷窃来资助偷窃习惯，从而导致进一步的轻罪行为。据说，与犯罪有关的社会问题是单亲家庭、缺乏榜样和恶劣的生活条件造成的。来自这些破碎家庭的孩子经常成为罪犯，因为他们感到与社会格格不入。贫穷也是犯罪背后的一个原因。当非技术工作的工资如此之低，价格如此之高，很容易看出为什么有些人为了收入而转向犯罪。

Crime can of, course, be dealt with by toughening criminal laws and introducing longer custodial sentences for persistent criminals, but some of the best ways to deal with crime may be to deal with the social causes. Increasing employment opportunities in poorer areas would improve living standards, which would mean access to affordable housing and education. Government funding for drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes would help reduce dependency on stimulants and the need for the criminal activity that surrounds them.

当然，犯罪可以通过严厉的刑法和延长对死刑犯的监禁刑期来处理，但是处理犯罪的一些最好的方法可能是处理社会原因。在较贫穷地区增加就业机会将提高生活水平，这将意味着获得负担得起的住房和教育。政府为戒毒和戒酒项目提供的资金将有助于减少对兴奋剂的依赖以及对周围犯罪活动的需求。

In conclusion, crime is a major issue, but cracking down on offenders with a harsh penal system is not the only way. These problems can be solved through the government providing jobs and funding which should raise living standards and dramatically reduce crime levels.

总之，犯罪是一个主要问题，但严厉的刑罚制度打击罪犯并不是唯一的途径。这些问题可以通过政府提供工作和资金来解决，这些工作和资金应该可以提高生活水平，大大降低犯罪率。

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