CRIME & HOMELESS & ELDERLY PEOPLE

Crime experienced by the homeless and elderly is often described as invisible

[Name of the institute]

Crime experienced by the homeless and elderly is often described as invisible

Introduction

In addition to spending on military and building bridges, the government also spends on social insurance programs and other social services, such as food stamps and healthcare which are primarily transfers of income from taxpayers to needy citizens. With the aid, of these benefits program of social services government makes an attempt to help out the needy people. Unfortunately, the recent recessionary period has affected the availability of funds that are used to support these beneficial programs. As a result of this more and more people are becoming homeless. Moreover, there are elderly people who also face problems to have the shelter of home. When these individuals begin to live on streets they become more prone to suffer from crimes. Similarly elderly people also have to face a lot of crimes as they are feeble and do not possess the courage to show any level of resistance. Over the past years it has been observed that crime that homeless and elderly people suffer is increasing to a greater extent. The dilemma is that not only these homeless and elderly people have to suffer from crimes but the crimes that are faced by them are often ignored and nobody takes notice of it. The aim and objective of this paper is also to talk about this aspect that crimes that are suffered by elderly and homeless people are often considered as invisible.

Discussion

In the past there were no differences whether a crime is suffered by homeless or a rich individual. Whenever the arrest of a criminal takes place who have committed crimes with homeless and elderly people then there are a number of factors that may influence the activities of trial, sentencing, arrest and rehabilitation. Gone are the days when all the criminals used to be treated as same and no matter what crime they have committed, to which gender they belong to and of what age they are. There was no difference between criminal who harmed a rich or a homeless or an elderly person. With the passage of time the system has begun to differentiate between these two groups (Anderson, 2009, 287).

The punitive police strategies for “dealing with” poverty and homelessness are not only entrenching existing inequities, they are inflicting additional human rights violations on the community members with the greatest unmet housing needs. Crimes that are suffered by homeless and elderly people are often ignored or it can be said that these crimes are considered as invisible because. These are the people of our society who are powerless and who cannot raise their voice to get their rights and to protect themselves. According to a survey everyday almost 100 crimes are suffered by homeless and elderly people but almost half of these crimes are not reported (Social Exclusion Unit, 2013, 23). There are a number of reasons ...