The correlation between religion and criminal behaviour

Abstract

The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between religion and criminal behaviour. Information for this study was gathered through a literature review on the subject as well as with the help of professional participants. A qualitative approach was used and the researcher interviewed social workers, a school rector and a police inspector. All the participants have professional backgrounds which include interactions with offenders and because of this, their opinions were sought on what they face every day at work. The basic idea was to ask about the effect of religion on deterrence and rehabilitation of offenders, but because the relationship between the two subjects can be vague, the interview was semi-structured to guide the participants and raise certain points. This is how the main themes emerged. These were: the types of crime, different religions, the social aspect and age. During the interviews, these themes were combined with both religion and crime in general, and in the analysis could be described as the diverse factors that influence the effect of religion on criminal behaviour.