This is a comment from a reader on Krimsonlake's blog;
The problem with trying to deal with the problem of people taking advantage of a welfare system is that for every ten people that you motivate to go out and get a job, one will be motivated to go out and commit crime.
If you look at other countries, like Canada and the US, tougher welfare system equals more crime and cases of child neglect, and the economy doesn't really suffer any ill effects of a relaxed welfare system because there are less criminals to take care of.
This is an erroneous but not unusually held belief that somehow welfare provision prevents crime. Canada's crime rate over its provinces is highly variable but, interestingly, lowest in Ontario, which has undergone vigorous welfare reforms, reducing their welfare numbers by more than 50 percent since 1994.
Wikipedia ;Canada's crime rate is close to the average of Western Europe, lower than some nations (United Kingdom, Sweden) but higher than others (Spain, France). Canada has several times more crime per capita than Japan.
UK and Sweden have very generous welfare - France, and particularly Spain, much less so.
And of course one would have to question why crime sky-rocketed in NZ from the sixties in tandem with the explosion of the benefit system. Don't go blaming it purely on unemployment. Look at what's going on right now with the "lowest" unemployment rate in the OECD. I would suggest crime has more to do with family structure, stability and ability to provide.
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3 comments:
Perhaps I was too general with my comments. There are obviously far more factors involved in crime than just the welfare system. And the problem with tracking such factors is that crime can be exhibited long after the root cause of the problem has been in place.
I guess my main concern is based around Don Brash's current policy of toughening the welfare system based around solo mothers. Such an act must be done with such delicacy. If the number of cases of child neglect go up as a result of this then yes, crime will go up because of the tougher system. some children may be inspired by the example set by their parents to go out and work, some will be affected by their parents reduced free time negatively and will commit crime as a result.
As you said, it comes down to family structure and the parents ability to provide. However, this is not entrely seperate from the welfare system.
I think what's undeniable though, is the link between poverty and antisocial behaiviour, both nationally and globally. Our current system can limit a family's ability to form a cohesive structure and provide. Any attempt to modify the welfare system should be based around increasing those factors, and not simply have the mindset of, "get them off the benefit and make them work, because the rest of us are sick of you leeching". Which is how most people view it.
The Devil makes work for idle hands...
Welfare is the gateway crime, the first broken window...
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