Crime is everything what is prohibited by law. What is prohibited in one country can however be legal in another country. In most countries the laws are not necessarily ethic. To violate a law is therefore not always "bad".

Nevertheless, (the absence of) ethics remains important. To live in luxury, to satisfy your needs, the need for more, status and sensation is being glorified. Thinking of other people, controlling the ego and instincts, fairness and the notion that people possibly must justify themselves, are put aside. Because of that, in spite of a high prosperity and education level, many cannot resist the seduction to commit a crime. Furthermore, a society in which everyone must protect his own interests, stimulates committing crime.

Crimes which are committed in a business or office environment like fraud, often don’t have a direct victim. 

Offences where there are no direct victims stimulate crime, also because public opinion considers these offences more as a small offence. Because of their hidden character, these offences are highly profitable.

Compared with other countries, crime in rich countries is not high. After all, in tough economic circumstances also the willingness of people to commit crime increases. To indicate that the country is unsafe, the media always make comparisons with countries with the lowest crime but never with countries with a high crime rate. Because of this, the feeling of insecurity has increased and the call for harder sentences and the death penalty has become louder.

The humanist character of the society has disappeared as snow in the sun.