Poverty and crime often occur simultaneously. However, analyses show that crime is not driven by poverty alone, but rather by inequality. Countries with high overall levels of poverty do not necessarily have higher levels of crime. It is places with high levels of income inequality that typically have the highest levels of crime. Another driver of crime is a breakdown in social norms and values which results in, and is worsened by, factors such as unemployment, incomplete education, a break down in family structures, limited opportunities and exclusion from the formal economy.

Guest on the line: Dr Mpumelelo Ncube -HoD & Senior Lecturer Dept. of Social Work University of the Free State