Journal of Legal Research

Journal of Legal Research

The Impact of Physical, Psychological, Spiritual, and Social Health on the Commission of Theft (Case Study: Incarcerated Men Aged 20-50 in Lorestan Province)

Document Type : Original Article

Author
PhD Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Undoubtedly, the development and progress of human societies are indebted to a healthy, committed, and specialized human capital. One of the factors that plays a significant role in the destruction of human capital is the commission of crimes such as theft. Accordingly, the present study seeks to investigate the impact of physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health on the commission of the crime of theft. The research method of this study is quantitative and survey-based. The statistical population of the present study includes all men aged 20 to 50 in Lorestan Province who were incarcerated in the prisons of Lorestan Province in the second half of the year 2022-2023 due to the commission of theft. From the statistical population, using G*Power software, a sample group of 200 individuals was selected through convenience sampling. For data collection, a standardized questionnaire constructed by Lali et al. in 2012 was used. To analyze the data, Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression, path analysis, and model evaluation methods were employed using SPSS. The results of the present study showed that physical health (47%) and spiritual health (35.5%) inversely predict the commission of theft. In other words, physical health and holding spiritual beliefs lead to a reduction in theft. In contrast, the results indicated that no significant relationship was observed between psychological health and social health with the commission of theft. Therefore, while physical and spiritual health were identified as factors associated with the reduction of theft, the dimensions of mental and social health did not receive empirical confirmation in this context. Nevertheless, the potential role of these two components in criminal behavior cannot be disregarded. It is possible that the lack of a significant relationship is due to the characteristics of the measurement tool used in the present study or cultural differences in the conceptualization of the variables. Consequently, it is suggested that future research, by employing more precise tools and considering different cultural contexts, examine the role of mental and social health in the commission of crime with greater accuracy.
Keywords

 
Adeseun, Quadri Akintunde. “The Impact of Religious Beliefs and Religious Commitments on Delinquent Behaviors.” PhD Thesis. College Park: University of Maryland, 1993 (in English).
Azari, Hajar and Leila Bahrami. “Conceptual Development of the Right to Women’s Health and Its Analysis in Macro and Micro Policymaking.” Zan dar Tose’e va Siasat, 18, 4 (2020), 529–555 (in Persian).
Azhdari-Fard, Pari-Sima, Qasem Ghazi, and Rahmatollah Nourani-Pour. “Examining the Effect of Teaching Mysticism and Spirituality on Students’ Mental Health.” Andisheh-ha-ye Tazeh dar Olum-e Tarbiati, 5, 18 (2010), 105–127 (in Persian).
Bahrami-Ehsan, Hadi, Mahsa Sa’adati, Fatemeh Mahmoudi, and Sedigheh Fani. “Construct Validity of the Four-Dimensional Health Measurement Questionnaire: The Biological–Psychological–Social–Spiritual Model.” Majaleh Tahghighat-e Olum-e Raftari, 13, 2 (2015), 251–265 (in Persian).
Bargali, Ahmad and Saeed Abdolmalki. Criminal Psychology. Tehran: Payam-e Noor University Press, 2013 (in Persian).
Benda, Brent B. and Robert Flynn Corwyn. “Are the Effects of Religion on Crime Mediated, Moderated, and Misrepresented by Inappropriate Measures?” Journal of Social Service Research, 27, 3 (2001), 57–86. https://doi.org/10.1300/J079v27n0304 (in English).
Haddadian, Ali, Zahra Hazrati-Som’e, and Sasan Vadi’eh. “A Sociological Explanation of Social Harms of Cyberspace among Male Adolescents.” Pazhouhesh-ha-ye Ettela’ati va Jenayi, 18, 1 (2023), 101–124 (in Persian).
Haji-Zadeh Mimandi, Vahid, and Zahra Falak-al-Din. “Health-Oriented Lifestyle and Responsible Environmental Behaviors in the Cities of Khorramabad and Yazd.” Pazhouhesh-ha-ye Jame’eh-Shenasi-ye Mo’aser, 8, 15 (2019), 141–172 (in Persian).
Heidari, Ali-Heydar, Masoud Golchin, Bijan Zare’, and Majid Rohandeh. “Meta-Analysis of Social Factors Affecting Interpersonal Violence.” Tose’e-ye Ejtema’i, 12, 46 (2017), 55–82 (in Persian).
Hosseinzadeh, Ali-Hossein, Ali Boudaghi, and Amal Khamisi. “Social and Psychological Determinants of Criminal Tendency (Case Study: Youth Aged 18–29 in Ahvaz).” Jame’eh-Shenasi-ye Nehad-ha-ye Ejtema’i, 9, 19 (2022), 7–34 (in Persian).
Iman, Mohammad-Taghi, Elham Shirdel, Fatemeh Shoa’-e Najm, and Hamid Shirdel. “A Sociological Explanation of Factors Affecting Adolescent Girls’ Tendency toward Delinquency in Kerman.” Motale’at-e Rahbordi-ye Varzesh va Javanan, 28 (2015), 203–226 (in Persian).
Jalaei-Pour, Hamid-Reza and Majid Hosseini-Nejad. “Social Factors Affecting Juvenile Delinquency (Case Study: Rasht).” Tahghighat-e Olum-e Ejtema’i-ye Iran, 1, 2 (2009), 49–72 (in Persian).
Kardelo, Hossein, Seyyed Ahmad Sajjadi, Seyyed Mohammad-Hossein Razavi, and Mohammad Ramazan-Zadeh. “The Role of Sport in Crime Prevention.” Motale’at-e Rahbordi-ye Varzesh va Javanan, 15, 32 (2016), 61–74 (in Persian).
Kelashi, Mazyar, Seyyed Emad Hosseini, and Mohammad-Hadi Rajaei. “The Role of Sport in Crime and Delinquency Rates in Iran (1995–2012).” Pazhouheshnameh-ye Modiriyat-e Varzeshi va Raftar-e Harakati, 16, 32 (2020), 115–124 (in Persian).
Khosh-Far, Gholamreza, Arezou Mohammadi, Fatemeh Mohammadzadeh, Razieh Mohammadi, and Fatemeh Akbarzadeh. “Social Security and Social Health (Case Study: Youth Aged 15–29 in Qaen).” Motale’at-e Ejtema’i-ye Iran, 9, 1 (2015), 71–102 (in Persian).
Kiyanhi, Farshideh, Sadegh Moradi, and Gholamreza Mohammadenasl. “Social Factors of Relapse into Addiction among Self-Referred Addicts and Preventive Strategies.” Pazhouhesh-ha-ye Ettela’ati va Jenayi, 17, 4 (2022), 193–214 (in Persian).
Litchfield, Allen W., Darwin L. Thomas, and Bing Dao Li. “Dimensions of Religiosity as Mediators of the Relations between Parenting and Adolescent Deviant Behavior.” Journal of Adolescent Research, 12, 2 (1997), 199–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743554897122004 (in English).
Maghimi, Mehdi. “The Effect of Quality of Life on Theft Crime.” Didgah-ha-ye Hoquq-e Ghazai, 22, 79–80 (2017), 149–170 (in Persian).
Mo’azen, Reza, Malek Mirhashemi, and Ma’navi-Pour. “The Effect of Mental Health of Violent and Non-Violent Offenders on Crime Increase and the Role of Management in Its Control.” Karagah, 33 (2015), 45–58 (in Persian).
Mohammadian, Sara and Babak Mohammadzapour. “The Necessity of Forming a Personality File in the Iranian Criminal Justice Process.” Pezeshki-ye Ghanouni, 19, 2–3 (2013), 329–340 (in Persian).
Nazok-Tabar, Hossein, Mohammad-Javad Zahedi, and Hooshang Nayebi. “The Role of Religiosity in Preventing Youth Delinquency in Tehran.” Refah-e Ejtema’i, 22 (2006), 233–257 (in Persian).
Pourmanafi, Abolfazl, Peyman Kaviyari, and Ebrahim Ghorbani. “Identifying Managerial Components Affecting the Enhancement of Information Dominance in Intelligence Organizations (Case Study: FARJA Intelligence Organization).” Pazhouhesh-ha-ye Ettela’ati va Jenayi, 18, 71 (2023), 159–188 (in Persian).
Sabzeh-Ali, Razieh, Mahmoud Ashrafi, and Masoud Heidari. “The Effects of Personality Dossier in Iranian Criminal Law.” Hoquqi-ye Dadgostari, 82, 104 (2018), 67–93 (in Persian).
Saffikhani, Hamid-Reza. “Health from the Perspective of Islam.” Faslnameh-ye Ta’min-e Ejtema’i, 9, 28 (2007), 225–246 (in Persian).
Sarafino, Edward P. Health Psychology. Trans. Forough Shafi’i et al. Tehran: Roshd Publications, 2008 (in Persian).
Sayadi, Mahnaz, Sirvan Sayad, Ahmad Vahabi, Boshra Vahabi, Bijan Nouri, and Mona Amani. “Spiritual Health Level and Its Related Factors among University Students in Sanandaj.” Ravanshenasi va Ravanshenasi-ye Shenakhti, 6, 1 (2019), 1–10 (in Persian).
Seligman, Martin and Christopher Peterson. Character Strengths and Virtues Classification. Trans. Mohsen Zandi and Leila Bagheri. Tehran: Roshd Publications, 2021 (in Persian).
Shaker-Soltan Ahmadi, Siamak, Ali Shalbaaf, Samad Rahbari-Banayan, Elnaz Alinejad, and Heidar Amirpour. “Analysis of the Impact of Psychological and Social Aspects on the Occurrence of Theft.” Pazhouhesh-ha-ye Karbordi-ye Ravanshenakhti, 8, 1 (2017), 109–125 (in Persian).
Shayegan, Fariba, Abdollah Hendiani, and Amir-Hossein Khajeh-Zadeh. “Factors Affecting Theft Detection (Case Study: Bushehr Province).” Pazhouhesh-ha-ye Ettela’ati va Jenayi, 18, 3 (2023), 143–168 (in Persian).
Sikand, Mehak and K. Jayasankara Reddy. “Role of Psychosocial Factors in Criminal Behaviour in Adults in India.” International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 12, 1 (2017), 24–44. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.345701 (in English).
Zanganeh, Mohammad. “An Examination of Family Factors Affecting Delinquent Behavior of Students: Bushehr Province.” Olum-e Ejtema’i, 11, 25 (2004), 105–135 (in Persian).