The Societal Impacts of Covid-19: A Transnational Perspective

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DOI :10.26650/B/SS49.2021.006.12   IUP :10.26650/B/SS49.2021.006.12    Tam Metin (PDF)

The Impact of Covid-19 on Crime

Ruken Macit

The coronavirus, which started in Wuhan, China and spread to the whole world, has affected many social phenomena in a short time; undoubtedly one of these social phenomena is crime. The phenomenon of crime, which is as old as humankind, is an important social problem. Since the COVID-19 outbreak which brought life to a standstill, crime rates in many countries have changed remarkably. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved as a global health, humanitarian and economic crisis, criminals have been quick to seize opportunities to generate significant amounts of profit. While measures were being taken within the framework of COVID-19, including a call to “stay home” , many crime types (burglary, homicide, migrant smuggling) decreased, whereas some (cybercrime, domestic violence) increased. In addition, some types of crime (e.g. the drug trade) were observed to develop new strategies. This study aims to analyze the phenomenon of crime in the world in the epidemic process, both theoretically and statistically. The theoretical framework is based on Criminal Opportunity Theory. According to this theory, criminals are individuals who evaluate the opportunities around them and make rational choices. It is expected that COVID-19 will cause significant changes within several crime types. This research offers a different perspective on the COVID-19 situation, within the framework of the crime phenomenon.


Anahtar Kelimeler: Crime, COVID-19, criminal opportunity theory

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