Three-tiered approach essential for crime prevention - Criminologist

SHAH ALAM - Crime prevention is not a quick fix but a long-term endeavor requiring a deep understanding of its root causes and comprehensive strategies to prevent future offences.

To develop effective strategies, Criminologist Shankar Durairaja said it is essential to study the motives behind criminal behaviour, the offenders' profiles, and the victims' circumstances.

Once a comprehensive study is done, Shankar said that long-term strategies can be implemented to address the underlying causes.

"We need to understand the criminals and the reasons behind their actions.

"Once we have that understanding, we can develop long-term strategies tailored to address these underlying causes," he told Sinar Daily when contacted recently.

To address the root causes of criminal behaviour, Shankar outlined a three-tiered approach to crime prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary strategies, each targeting different levels of risk and involvement.

Primary prevention, according to him, is aimed at the broader population and the approach involves raising awareness and educating the public about certain crimes.

"For primary prevention, it focuses on everyone with an awareness programme educating the public to be aware of the crime and to prevent themselves from being involved," he said.

According to Shankar, secondary prevention targets specific groups of individuals at high risk of becoming involved in criminal activities.

"For example, children or teenagers from neighborhoods with a strong presence of gangsterism are considered high-risk individuals.

"In these cases, we focus on targetted interventions such as specific programmes and counselling workshops to ensure they stay on the right path.

"Tertiary prevention focuses on separation, where we identify criminals, arrest them, and place them in prison," he said.

Commenting further, Shankar said prevention programmes must be tailored to address specific types of crimes, as the motivations and effects behind criminal behaviour vary greatly.

"If you look at the prison department, they have developed rehabilitation modules that are specific to each type of criminal.

"For example, the rehabilitation programme for sexual offenders and drug offenders are different because the reasons behind their involvement in crime and the effects of their actions are different," he said.

By studying crime, understanding the motives, and analysing both the offenders and victims, Shankar said society can develop more effective and long-term crime prevention strategies.

"This process cannot be rushed.

"It takes time to fully understand the complexities of each crime, implement new strategies, and ultimately prevent future incidents," he said.