In 1975, I was studying Criminology as my college major.
I wrote a term paper entitled “Crime Prevention Through Education” for one of my courses. I received a top grade from my teacher, but the students, many of whom were police officers, saw things differently.
In the 1970s, new approaches of preventing crime were being investigated. Of course, the general methods of crime prevention that the police officers in the class reported on were also good. The difference was that they were dealing with preventing the criminal from acting. I was writing about preventing the individual from becoming a criminal.
There are a multitude of methods used to prevent the criminal from acting. Motion-activated lights, glass windows on lighted stairwells, car alarms for theft detection, and keeping shrubbery cut and giving the property a look of being lived-in are only a few. This was the mindset of the police officers and other criminology students in my class. So much so, that one of the police officers stood up after my presentation, and challenged my “theory”.
My thoughts and the thoughts of a growing number, were that crime is the result of poor education. Not only poor education, but the lack of particular subjects in the education curriculum. Does education prepare student to know how to find employment, participate in an interview, raise a family, and become active in local community affairs? How does society, or education as a product of society, prepare teens and young adults for marriage? When should sex education be taught in the schools? That remains a hot topic. Parenthood is not something that should be a surprise. It should be desired and planned. Good education provides opportunities for students to become members of society who will be successful in life and not turn toward crime.
Why do girls turn to prostitution? Here is a video about prostitution in Ukraine which shows the result of poor education and bad family life.
The need for higher education in Ukraine and the effect that it will have in breaking the cycle of poverty can’t be overstated. MUCH believes that higher education is one big answer to changing the future of the small cities and villages in Ukraine. That is why we continue our scholarship program. If you can believe it, transportation from Illichevsk to a university in Odessa and back per school year, cost about the same as tuition for a university degree.
Will you help us help the students of Ukraine? It is amazing that $80 a month will put a student through the university program in Ukraine and provide a bite to eat each day.
Your $10 will help MUCH help our university students!
