4 Life Choices that Can Lead to Crime

As you grow up, you might have parents or teachers talk to you about some of the world’s dangers. As your elders, it’s their job to inform you about dangerous people and situations out there that you should avoid. However, just because they warned you about them, that does not always mean you’ll be able to stay away.

Some young people are rebellious, and a particular lifestyle might attract them precisely because their parents or teachers told them to avoid it. This headstrong streak can lead to trouble, such as criminality.

Today, we’ll talk about some lifestyles that can lead to crime. If you have these particular elements in your life, you should purge them as quickly as possible.

Gangs

It’s definitely hard for some people to understand the gang lifestyle or mentality. It’s a nihilistic way of looking at the world.

However, for a young person with a difficult background, a gang can be a place where you feel accepted. You might look up to the older members.

The gang life is one that almost always leads to crime, though. To join successfully, you might need to perpetrate a violent act against a rival gang member. You may need to rob a store or commit some equally dangerous action.

If the police catch you, you’ll need a criminal lawyer if you have any hope of escaping a prison sentence. A judge likely won’t care about your background. They’ll view you as a hooligan, and if you can’t get away from the gang lifestyle, that’s exactly what you will remain.

Drugs

The druggie lifestyle is another one that goes hand-in-hand with criminality. There are lots of illegal drugs, including MDMA, mushrooms, coke, methamphetamine, and many more.

A friend or relative might introduce you to them. If you start to use them or sell them, that’s against the law. By associating yourself with them and being around them, you’re doing something illegal, to say nothing of the possible health risks.

Those who embrace drugs often feel unhappy or dissatisfied. They might feel like their life is lacking something. They may make the excuse that they’re just partying, but they may actually be self-medicating.

If the police catch you with drugs, they won’t care about your reasons for using them. You can face a lengthy prison bid, fines, community service, and other penalties.

Infatuation

There is nothing wrong with having a crush on someone. Maybe you like a fellow student at your school, or if you’re older, perhaps you’d like to date one of your neighbors or an individual you frequently see at your gym or church.

You can ask them out, but if they say no, there’s a limit to how much further you can push things. Perhaps you can come up with a romantic gesture that you think will convince them, but if they shut you down again, you need to accept their decision.

If you keep bothering them, you’re potentially getting into stalking or harassment territory. If you follow them around all day, or you find yourself camped out with binoculars in front of their house, you know you’ve crossed a line.

If the police find out about your activities, the individual might hit you with a restraining order, or you might face other penalties. You should realize when you need to move on and when a crush is becoming a fixation.

Online Behavior

Many people lead active online lives these days. That can take many forms. You may have many social media profiles on different platforms, or maybe you run a blog. You might post on various forums, either under your own name or using an assumed identity.

Maybe you’re passionate about various topics, and you like to talk about them. There are times that passion can get you into trouble, though.

If you’re ever threatening anyone online, whether they’re a regular citizen or a celebrity, you’ll know you’ve gone too far. Even if you’re saying things just to scare them, and you never intend to do anything violent or otherwise inappropriate in real life, you can face criminal charges if the police or the FBI catch you.

One rule is to never write anything online that you would not say to the person in real life. Don’t be a keyboard warrior or an internet troll, someone who says despicable things to hurt people’s feelings.

If you can stay away from these lifestyles and behaviors, you should be much happier for it.