Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly

causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical
contact, words, or more subtle actions.
The bullied individual typically has trouble defending him or herself and does nothing to
“cause” the bullying.
Cyberbullying is verbally threatening or harassing behavior conducted through such
electronic technology as cell phones, email, social media, or text messaging.

Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal,
physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm.
It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or
more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.

Bullying can happen in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious (overt)

or hidden (covert). Bullying behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time (for example,

through sharing of digital records).

Bullying of any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved,

including bystanders.

Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying.

What bullying is not

 single episodes of social rejection or dislike

 single episode acts of nastiness or spite

 random acts of aggression or intimidation

 mutual arguments, disagreements or fights.

These actions can cause great distress. However, they do not fit the definition of bullying and they’re not

examples of bullying unless someone is deliberately and repeatedly doing them.

What Is Bullying
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a
real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be
repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious,
lasting problems.

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

 An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical

strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm
others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even
if they involve the same people.
 Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to
happen more than once.

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone
physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

 Types of Bullying
 Where and When Bullying Happens
 Frequency of Bullying

Types of Bullying
There are three types of bullying:

 Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes:

o Teasing
o Name-calling
o Inappropriate sexual comments
o Taunting
o Threatening to cause harm
 Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting
someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:
o Leaving someone out on purpose
o Telling other children not to be friends with someone
o Spreading rumors about someone
o Embarrassing someone in public
  Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical
bullying includes:
o Hitting/kicking/pinching
o Spitting
o Tripping/pushing
o Taking or breaking someone’s things
o Making mean or rude hand gestures

Where and When Bullying Happens

Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in
the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the
playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s
neighborhood, or on the Internet.

Frequency of Bullying
There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:

 The 2019 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey

(National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) indicates that,
nationwide, about 22% of students ages 12–18 experienced bullying.
 The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention) indicates that, nationwide, 19.5% of students in grades 9–12
report being bullied on school property in the 12 months preceding the survey.

See also "Frequency of Cyberbullying."

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10627

AN ACT REQUIRING ALL ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO ADOPT POLICIES

TO PREVENT AND ADDRESS THE ACTS OF BULLYING IN THEIR INSTITUTIONS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Anti-Bullying Act of 2013".

Section 2. Acts of Bullying. – For purposes of this Act, "bullying" shall refer to any severe or
repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression, or a physical act
or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually
causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to his
property; creating a hostile environment at school for the other student; infringing on the rights of the
other student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the
orderly operation of a school; such as, but not limited to, the following:

a. Any unwanted physical contact between the bully and the victim like punching, pushing,
shoving, kicking, slapping, tickling, headlocks, inflicting school pranks, teasing, fighting and
the use of available objects as weapons;

b. Any act that causes damage to a victim’s psyche and/or emotional well-being;

c. Any slanderous statement or accusation that causes the victim undue emotional distress
like directing foul language or profanity at the target, name-calling, tormenting and
commenting negatively on victim’s looks, clothes and body; and

d. Cyber-bullying or any bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic
means.

Section 3. Adoption of Anti-Bullying Policies. – All elementary and secondary schools are hereby
directed to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective institutions. Such
policies shall be regularly updated and, at a minimum, shall include provisions which:

(a) Prohibit the following acts:

(1) Bullying on school grounds; property immediately adjacent to school grounds; at

school-sponsored or school-related activities, functions or programs whether on or
off school grounds; at school bus stops; on school buses or other vehicles owned,
leased or used by a school; or through the use of technology or an electronic device
owned, leased or used by a school;

(2) Bullying at a location, activity, function or program that is not school-related and
through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased or
used by a school if the act or acts in question create a hostile environment at school
for the victim, infringe on the rights of the victim at school, or materially and
substantially disrupt the education process or the orderly operation of a school; and

(3) Retaliation against a person who reports bullying, who provides information
during an investigation of bullying, or who is a witness to or has reliable information
about bullying;

(b) Identify the range of disciplinary administrative actions that may be taken against a
perpetrator for bullying or retaliation which shall be commensurate with the nature and
gravity of the offense: Provided, That, in addition to the disciplinary sanctions imposed upon
a perpetrator of bullying or retaliation, he/she shall also be required to undergo a
rehabilitation program which shall be administered by the institution concerned. The parents
of the said perpetrator shall be encouraged by the said institution to join the rehabilitation
program;

(c) Establish clear procedures and strategies for:

(1) Reporting acts of bullying or retaliation;

(2) Responding promptly to and investigating reports of bullying or retaliation;

 (3) Restoring a sense of safety for a victim and assessing the student’s need for
protection;

(4) Protecting from bullying or retaliation of a person who reports acts of bullying,
provides information during an investigation of bullying, or is witness to or has
reliable information about an act of bullying; and

(5) Providing counseling or referral to appropriate services for perpetrators, victims

and appropriate family members of said students;

(d) Enable students to anonymously report bullying or retaliation: Provided, however, That no

disciplinary administrative action shall be taken against a perpetrator solely on the basis of
an anonymous report;

(e) Subject a student who knowingly makes a false accusation of bullying to disciplinary
administrative action;

(f) Educate students on the dynamics of bullying, the anti-bullying policies of the school as
well as the mechanisms of such school for the anonymous reporting of acts of bullying or
retaliation;

(g) Educate parents and guardians about the dynamics of bullying, the anti-bullying policies
of the school and how parents and guardians can provide support and reinforce such
policies at home; and

(h) Maintain a public record of relevant information and statistics on acts of bullying or
retaliation in school: Provided, That the names of students who committed acts of bullying or
retaliation shall be strictly confidential and only made available to the school administration,
teachers directly responsible for the said students and parents or guardians of students who
are or have been victims of acts of bullying or retaliation.

All elementary and secondary schools shall provide students and their parents or guardians a copy
of the anti-bullying policies being adopted by the school. Such policies shall likewise be included in
the school’s student and/or employee handbook and shall be conspicuously posted on the school
walls and website, if there is any.

The Department of Education (DepED) shall include in its training programs, courses or activities
which shall provide opportunities for school administrators, teachers and other employees to develop
their knowledge and skills in preventing or responding to any bullying act.

Section 4. Mechanisms to Address Bullying. – The school principal or any person who holds a
comparable role shall be responsible for the implementation and oversight of policies intended to
address bullying.

Any member of the school administration, student, parent or volunteer shall immediately report any
instance of bullying or act of retaliation witnessed, or that has come to one’s attention, to the school
principal or school officer or person so designated by the principal to handle such issues, or both.
Upon receipt of such a report, the school principal or the designated school officer or person shall
promptly investigate. If it is determined that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the school principal
or the designated school officer or person shall:
 (a) Notify the law enforcement agency if the school principal or designee believes that
criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code may be pursued against the perpetrator;

(b) Take appropriate disciplinary administrative action;

(c) Notify the parents or guardians of the perpetrator; and

(d) Notify the parents or guardians of the victim regarding the action taken to prevent any
further acts of bullying or retaliation.

If an incident of bullying or retaliation involves students from more than one school, the school first
informed of the bullying or retaliation shall promptly notify the appropriate administrator of the other
school so that both may take appropriate action.

Section 5. Reporting Requirement. – All schools shall inform their respective schools division
superintendents in writing about the anti-bullying policies formulated within six (6) months from the
effectivity of this Act. Such notification shall likewise be an administrative requirement prior to the
operation of new schools.

Beginning with the school year after the effectivity of this Act, and every first week of the start of the
school year thereafter, schools shall submit a report to their respective schools division
superintendents all relevant information and statistics on acts of bullying or retaliation. The schools
division superintendents shall compile these data and report the same to the Secretary of the
DepED who shall likewise formally transmit a comprehensive report to the Committee on Basic
Education of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Section 6. Sanction for Noncompliance. – In the rules and regulations to be implemented pursuant
to this Act, the Secretary of the DepED shall prescribe the appropriate administrative sanctions on
school administrators who shall fail to comply with the requirements under this Act. In addition
thereto, erring private schools shall likewise suffer the penalty of suspension of their permits to
operate. 1âwphi1

Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this
Act, the DepED shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of
this Act.

Section 8. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any provision of this Act is declared to be
unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby
shall continue to be in full force or effect.

Section 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof
which are inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.

Section 10. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two
(2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

(Sgd.) JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA (Sgd.) FELICIANO BELMONTE JR.

 Acting Senate President Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on June 5, 2013.

(Sgd.) EMMA LIRIO-REYES (Sgd.) MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP

Secretary of the Senate Secretary General
House of Representatives

Approved: SEP 12 2013

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

President of the Philippines

The cost of crime includes the opportunity cost of time lost to criminal activities, incarceration, crime
prevention, and recovery after victimization. The threat of crime elicits private expenditures on locks,
safety lighting, security fences, alarm systems, antivirus software programs, and armored car services.

Causes of crime

Introduction

Crime is essentially an act that is punishable by law. It doesn’t occur owing to a single cause but is an
extremely complex happening that is influenced by the culture of the place in which it takes place. For
the same reason, many activities that are deemed illegal in one country are legal in another. A case in
point would be alcohol consumption which is illegal in Muslim countries but legal everywhere else. With
changes in culture, people’s outlook towards what constitutes crime changes too. Owing to this, there
can be various causes of crime that change based on the nature of the crime, the time and place of its
occurrence, and the like. As a result, criminalization and decriminalization of various phenomena is an
ongoing process.

Causes of crime

Poverty

Poverty is one of the main reasons for crime. Countries with high rates of economic deprivation tend to
witness higher crime rates than other countries. Since people do not have the means to secure a living
in the right ways, they invest their time in criminal activities since they are not only an easy means to get
what they want but also do not require any other prerequisite talents. The ever-increasing divide we are
witnessing between the rich and the poor can also be attributed to more and more of the poor looking
to crime as a means for living. Not being able to earn and sustain themselves leaves people so frustrated
that they resort to illegal means to sustain themselves and their families. According to the data collected
by National Crime Records Bureau, theft is one of the most common crimes in India. All in all, the wealth
inequality and insufficient means to acquire a living in an honest way is driving the poor in India towards
a life of crime.

Peer Pressure

It is an established fact that peer pressure plays a significant role in the lives of all teenagers and young
adults. That is a phase of life where people tend to look up to their friends and believe what they do is
the right or rather ‘hip and happening’ thing to do. So, peer pressure compels them to join the
bandwagon. The lack of wisdom and experience these people have just added fuel to the fire. As a
result, many individuals in their youth subconsciously get drawn to vices like alcohol consumption and
smoking just by looking at their peers. The problem goes out of hand when this peer pressure does not
stay restricted to alcohol and cigarettes but extends to other illegal activities involving drugs that have
the potential to become an addiction and subsequently ruin their lives.

Drugs

Crime and drug abuse are closely related. A person under the influence tends to indulge in criminal
activities that they may have not indulged in otherwise. The main problem arises when they get
addicted to the drugs and believe they require it to sustain themselves. In such a situation, drug addicts
are ready to go to any extent to procure these illegal substances. According to the data collected by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is a wing under the National Institute of Health in the United
States of America, over 70,000 people succumbed to drug overdoses in America, in the year 2019 alone.
These figures are alarming. Under the influence of drugs, people feel the urge to do things that are not
only illegal but also have the potential to ruin and at times even end their lives.

Politics

The interrelation between politics and crime is overlooked many times. This is problematic as many
people have engaged in criminal activities while dealing with political issues. There are umpteen
politicians with a criminal record. Additionally, there have been quite a few politicians in developing
countries who have also been associated with violent crimes and murders. So many youth members of
parties are often given weapons and instructed to handle matters violently during conflicts. Any political
dispute, however insignificant, usually leads to rampant violence involving mobs. This not only exposes
youth to criminal activities but also puts the lives of various citizens at risk. So, an unstable political
situation in a country leads to an exponential increase in the crimes that take place there.

Religion

Even today, unfortunately, various divides and issues of society can be attributed to religion. Despite it
being a basic human right, many people are deprived of practising their own religion. This leads to a
feeling of resentment in the minds of believers. Moreover, there have been an awful lot of cases
involving crimes over different schools of thought too. Innocent lives have been lost in this war over
ideological concepts that have existed since time immemorial. This is an extremely sad state of affairs
considering that it is already the 21st century and human beings have progressed so much in other
areas. There are a huge number of crimes committed by religious fanatics while they try to further their
cause by propagating their religion or at times try to establish their religious superiority over other faiths
by resorting to destruction and vandalism.

Background

Oftentimes the background and family conditions of a criminal can be attributed to the reason behind
their crimes. When people believe that they are responsible to provide for their family and they are
unable to do so owing to lack of opportunities, lack of education or other such issues that handicap
them, they resort to crime. This is a sad state of affairs as in such situations it is highly likely that the
criminal would have refrained from engaging in criminal activities had there been sufficient means for
them to sustain themselves and provide for their family. This issue does not lead to crimes such as theft
alone but also motivates people to commit gruesome acts that put their freedom and lives at risk just so
they can make a good amount of money through bribes or ransoms that can be used for their family’s
sustenance.

Society

In today’s times, money is one of the most important aspects of everyone’s life. The meaning of money
is not restricted to the amount of wealth in a person’s bank account but is instead also attributed to
their societal status, worth, and even values. As a result of this, people value money more than their
relationships and happiness. What other people think of a person is more important to them than how
they feel. Even schools and universities do not teach children how to be happy and satisfied in life but
instead teach them how to make more money, which indirectly attributes wealth to worth. A case in
point would be people in awe of students who study and take up professions in the fields of science as
opposed to art as conventionally, they have chances of earning more. As a result, people earning less
feel unworthy and are compelled to indulge in a life of crime so as to make more money and feel more
worthy.

Unemployment

The lack of employment opportunities is an issue faced by developing and developed countries alike. A
huge portion of the youth of today are unemployed and as per a report by the Confederation of Indian
Industry, the youth employment rate is ever-increasing. According to the data recorded by the Centre
for Monitoring Indian Economy, the unemployment rate in our country is ever increasing. Naturally, this
leaves the youth frustrated as despite spending a lot of time and money on their education they still find
it tough to get a good job. This leads to a feeling of resentment towards the system in the minds of
many youngsters who then rebel and resort to crimes early on in their lives.
Unequal rights

Deprivation is another significant contributor to the increasing crime rates. People resort to notorious
activities when they are deprived of their basic rights since that impedes their means to obtain a
livelihood in a conventional and honest way. They have limited options and are already at a
disadvantaged position in society that they choose to make money and sustain themselves through
hook or crook. This usually involves them engaging in criminal activities.

Unfair justice system

The flawed justice system is another major contributor to crimes. When people believe that they are not
given their due and are unfairly treated by the system itself, they harbour feelings of resentment
towards it and start to rebel. This involves them engaging in criminal activities and doing the opposite of
what is expected of them. People try to get justice for themselves when they feel like the state is not
going to do the same and tend to commit various acts of crime in their journey to avenge themselves
and get what they believe they deserve. Many innocent people resort to crimes when they are wrongly
proven to be guilty in the Courts owing to a lack of trust in the system.

Different types of crimes

Any act that is in violation of the law is a crime. There are various types of crimes. Though not
exhaustive, criminologists group crimes into a few categories mentioned below.

Personal crimes

Personal crimes or crimes against persons refer to those crimes that are perpetrated against an
individual. They include murder, homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, and other such violent
acts.

Property crimes

Property crimes refer to crimes that include theft but do not involve bodily harm. Some examples
include arson, larceny, burglary, theft, etc. Here, the victim is not physically affected but is indirectly
affected by harm or loss to their property.

Hate crimes

These refer to crimes against an individual which are fuelled by prejudices against the said individual’s
race, gender, religion, caste, creed, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other such distinguishing
factors usually associated with one’s heritage.
Victimless crimes

Victimless crimes or crimes against morality refer to illegal acts which are not aimed at a specific
individual. Here, there are no complainants. Victimless crimes include gambling, administering illegal
drugs, prostitution, and the like which are immoral but do not harm any individual per se. Such crimes
are also known as consensual crimes as the violators here willingly engage in illegal acts knowing it is
against the law. The word consensual crime is preferred by most over victimless crime as the offenders
are said to be victims in these cases as their acts harm themselves.

White-collar crimes

Crimes committed by people who have a respectable position in society and are economically and
socially well placed in the course of their occupation are called white-collar crimes. Some examples
would be embezzling, tax evasion, insider trading, violating tax laws, and the like. Such crimes, though
not gruesome, are still extremely detrimental to society and have a great potential to cause economic
consequences like a recession in no time.

Organized crimes

Organized crimes refer to crimes that involve the sale of goods and services which are unlawful by a
structured group like a mafia. This would include drug cartels, smuggling of weapons, prostitution, and
even money laundering. Needless to say, organized crime has various negative impacts on both society
and the economy.

Theories of causation of crime

The different types of crimes and the various reasons attributed to their occurrence are not exhaustive.
Crime is caused due to a multiplicity of factors that are ever-changing. That said, there are certain
theories that have risen which attempt to ascertain the causation of crime. They include biological,
economic, psychological, political, and sociological theories.

Biological theories

The interaction of various biological factors can be attributed to the occurrence of criminal matters.
These biological factors refer to neurological, psychological, hereditary, and even biochemical elements
that lead to crime. Conventionally, crime is always regarded as an outcome rising from various social
aspects. However, in the past decade, there has been ample proof suggesting that genetic and biological
factors contribute significantly to criminal behaviour.

Economic theories
Given the assumption that all human beings engage in rational behaviour, it is mind-boggling to see the
crime rates in industrialized economies go through the roof. Many social researchers were of the
opinion that crime is heavily influenced by economic factors like employment, education, financial
conditions, and the like. It is one of the most common side effects of social exclusion. Criminals with the
background of industrial employees engaging in manual work choose that way of life due to the lack of
both education and jobs in the market. Crime is heavily influenced by wages and the employment status
of the people in question. Economists were of the opinion that educational programmes are the efficient
way to combat the issue of rising crime in a world full of depleting jobs and wages. All economic models
of crime focus on deterring effects and the interrelation between work and crime. They conclude that
the main reason for a crime could be attributed to rampant unemployment.

Psychological theories

Psychological theories of crime are extremely complex in nature. They focus on the personal relations of
the criminal. These theories try to demonstrate the evolution of offending from when the offender was
a child to when they become an adult. Psychologists are of the opinion that offensive behaviour is akin
to unfriendly behavior. A case in point would be reckless driving, administering drugs, intoxication, and
the like. So, they use theories and systems evolving from observations of unfriendly behavior to analyze
and study crime. To deal with criminal tendencies they resort to motivational approaches that induce
thoughtfulness and good decision-making. Since psychology entails a scientific study of human behavior
based on data, various factors that influence crime were said to be bad upbringing, broken families,
parents indulging in crime themselves, and personality disorders.

Political theories

All methods of crime are said to be in accordance with one political philosophy or the other. So, all
orientations of crime are the consequence of some political theory. Social disputes and governmental
relations are important constituents of crime. People with different and sometimes conflicting political
theories tend to associate crime with different factors. For instance, radical extremists may be of the
opinion that crime is an act of resistance to oppression whereas liberals are of the opinion that criminals
are misguided [people reacting poorly to faulty social institutions.

Sociological theories

Sociological theories can be further divided into three theories namely strain theory, social learning
theory, and control theory.

Strain theory

The strain theory suggests that people resort to crime as a reaction to excess negativity in them owing
to stress or strain. They are so overwhelmed with cynical emotions that they use crime to reduce their
burden. A case in point would be criminals stealing to improve their financial stability, a criminal causing
injury to others as a result of being raised in an abusive household, consuming illegal drugs to numb side
effects of mental illnesses caused by stress, and the like. Crime may also be an impulsive act aimed at
avenging oneself.

Social learning theory

This theory suggests that criminals learn to engage in criminal activities through people in their social
circles like friends, family, acquaintances, etc. So the basic idea here is that one does not resort to crime
independently but crime is a consequence of their association with others. Peers have a huge influence
on people and hence indirectly lead them down the wrong path.

Control theory

Crime is taken for granted in this theory. All criminals are said to have certain desires that they can
accomplish much more easily by resorting to crime as compared to any other legally acceptable method.
An example would be stealing money as opposed to working. People would prefer to steal as that would
give them the same amount of money but minus the effort. So, control theorists believe that there is no
specific reason for crime and it only occurs because it is the most convenient way for some people to get
what they want.

Measures that can be taken to curb criminal activities

Given that in today’s world crime isn’t restricted to something poverty-stricken people engage in but is
something people of all backgrounds do, it is important to formulate techniques and curb crime
altogether before it gets out of hand. The government plays a significant role here. They ought to
execute effective and efficient crime prevention techniques in their capacity as a leader of the people so
as to ensure there is harmony in society. Despite there being stringent legislation like the Indian Penal
Code (1860) and other such enactments formulated to curb crime, the number of crimes reported in
India is increasing every year as per the data collected by the National Crime Records Bureau. Though it
seems effective, by these figures one can ascertain that stringent punishments alone aren’t sufficient to
create fear in the minds of criminals and deter them from engaging in criminal activities. So, a
reevaluation of the government’s efforts to curb crime is the need of the hour. Some measures that can
be taken to curb criminal activities are mentioned below.

Speedy justice system

Justice delayed is justice denied. Though not specifically provided for in the Indian Constitution, the right
to speedy justice is implicit under Article 21 of the Constitution which provides for the protection of the
life and personal liberty of the citizens of India. It is high time that the Indian justice system is evaluated.
The excessive backlog of cases and inevitable delay of justice to the victims has led to people losing faith
in the system. Even a ghastly case like the Nirbhaya case (2017) took about 8 years to punish the culprits
and bring justice to the victim despite being fast-tracked. One of the foremost reasons for this delay is
the principle the legal system is based on- “innocent until proven guilty”. This gives criminals the
opportunity to get away with their crimes and if convicted, even then appeal for a review and further
prolong the process. This unfortunate situation not only encourages criminals to engage in crime but
also worsens the blow for victims of crime.

The first step to be taken so as to speed the justice system should be the appointment of a sufficient
number of judges. The inadequacy of judges in India is the foremost reason behind the pending cases in
Courts. This was also noted by the bench of judges in the case of Ramachandra Rao vs State of Karnataka
(2002). Additionally, Fast Track Courts have to be set up at the earliest. This was one of the
recommendations mentioned in the Report of the Eleventh Finance Commission which was released in
the year 1998. Apart from plugging the vacancies of the judges, the working days and annual vacations
of judges in all Courts have to be reviewed too.

Creation of job opportunities

As already mentioned before, unemployment and criminal tendencies are correlated. Criminals often
engage in unlawful acts because their economical means to survive otherwise are insufficient. In studies
assessing the correlation between crime and unemployment, it was established that unemployment
leads to a rise in property crime and not violent crimes. From this, one can ascertain that the criminals
here indulge in criminal activities as a means to survive. So, creating job opportunities would work as an
efficient deterrent to crime in such scenarios.

Overcoming economical inequalities

It is an established fact that the divide between the rich and the poor is ever increasing. The rich seem
to be enjoying luxurious lives that are constantly improving while the poor still find it hard to get access
to basic necessities and amenities they require for their survival like clean water, food, shelter, and the
like. Given that studies have indicated that the poor then resort to petty criminal offenses so as to
survive, the government ought to step in and reduce such economical inequalities through initiatives.
Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor would not only reduce the negatives classism brings
with it but would also ensure that all citizens have a means of survival and do not have to resort to any
unlawful activities for the same.

Formulating provisions for cybercrimes

Post the coming of the internet, everything has shifted online. Though there are umpteen perks to this,
it also means that cyberspace is now a new, easy and accessible domain for criminal activities. So, virtual
violence is on the rise. It is high time the government formulates effective provisions to protect citizens
in the virtual space too. For this, dysfunctional cyber security cells aren’t sufficient and there need to be
legitimate legislative provisions formulated.
Raising awareness among the people

The people should be made aware of their rights and remedies. Alongside this, all the youth should be
educated not only on how to be good citizens but also on how to steer clear from online offenses and
avoid being victims of crimes. Furthermore, the faith of the people in the justice system should be
restored by improving the system and also educating people on the approach they should take when
faced with a crime so they can report it the right way and ensure they get justice. Criminals will also be
deterred from engaging in criminal activities if the people they target are well equipped to handle the
situation.

Promoting harmony among religions

India is a secular country in which all religions are equal in all aspects. Despite this, there are numerous
instances of prejudice against certain religions and ethnic groups. The government has failed to address
this and take the necessary action. This could lead to various problems in the upcoming years. To do
away with that, the government ought to be neutral while enacting laws and ensure that the rights of all
citizens are safeguarded irrespective of the religion or ethnic group they belong to. A society in which all
the citizens live in harmony will most certainly have reduced crime rates.

Penalising white-collar criminals

White-collar crimes refer to non-violent crimes committed by individuals, businesses or even the
government which are financially motivated. Corruption is a cognate form of white-collar crime. It is still
rampant in India despite the enactment of the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988) which was later
amended to the Prevention of Corruption Act (2018). Corruption, in simple terms, refers to the misuse
of power by government officials so as to facilitate their illegitimate private gain. It has various
detrimental effects on the whole country. For starters, it stunts the growth of the economy by
discouraging investment and modifying the composition of government spending to the disadvantage of
the public. Unfortunately, corruption and other white-collar crimes aren’t given as much importance by
the government as compared to other crimes. This is problematic as it sets a dangerous precedent and
may lead to increasing cases of money laundering, bank thefts, and the like. Despite the enactment of
the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (2018), little has been done to penalise offenders like Vijay Mallya
and Nirav Modi. The government ought to be more enterprising in this regard and take charge by
penalising all the white-collar criminals at the earliest.