Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Rudimentary Square of Crime - Final PDF
The Rudimentary Square of Crime - Final PDF
Introduction
individual committed a crime, some believe that the person is subdued by supernatural or evil.
Man's action was based on the acceptability of society. Thus, only those in the highest strata of
society, particularly the rulers, identified whether the acts are wrongful or not. Early
punishments are plain retributive carried out through harsh and inhumane penalties. Later,
changes took place and made them to a reformative and correctional method of discipline.
socially harmful or dangerous and legitimately defined, prohibited, and punishable under
criminal law.1 In the Philippines Jurisprudence, crime is classified according to particular law
violated (felony, offense, or misdemeanor) and the nature of acts of the offender (mala in
se or mala prohibita).
detection and investigation to prove the guilt of identified offenders in the court of law.
Professionals pursuing this endeavor are widely called as criminalists. On the other hand,
experts and researchers are investigating and illuminating the commission and existence of
these endeavors.
In the Philippines, the two are intertwined professions. Both are graduates of the
criminology program and successfully hurdle the licensure examination for criminologists. A
1
criminology degree focuses on the study of causes and investigation of crime, crime prevention,
law enforcement, and the reformation of criminals. Crimes are explicated using theories and
concepts.
With these, sociologists, psychologists, and criminologists who are also theorists and
researchers of their respective professions investigated crimes and came-up with theory and
concepts. Later, their footsteps were followed by others and endeavor to conduct further study
to illustrate the causes of crime as a social phenomenon. The process of investigating and
principle or body of principles that have already been substantiated by data, offered to explain
phenomena.2
known as the "Rudimentary Square of Crime." This theory will augment the existing theories
Law enforcers and probers may utilize this concept as a reference in formulating police
It will also guide criminology researchers, to their endeavor of unveiling the truth.
Generally, this will add to the existing theories and concepts in explaining and
2
Related Literature
Rapid urbanization and complexities cause swift changes in current society. Changes in
society also cause variations in the commission of crimes. The influx of modern and
sophisticated technologies, including a computer, cellular phones, and online games, reinforced
the sudden increase in crime rates and the development of wide ranges of deviant behavior
network serves as the new crime scene. Utilizing these technologies surpasses or superseded
the old methods of committing crimes such as theft, harassment, and fraud. Hacking one's online
or webpage account is the basics of performing these acts. The acts of hacking is performed
different contact numbers, for cellular phones, or email addresses to obtain an online identity of
interested individuals who will respond to hacker's offers. While spoofing is the method of
the owner of the account to make the owner's identity and take advantage to control the genuine
exiting account.
In a study conducted in Iran, the researchers found out that there was about 95%
significant direct relationship between the amount of playing games among adolescents and
individuals who utilize the medium of transportation, particularly motorcycle. They conceal
themselves using bonnet and helmet for them to be barely identified. According to the news and
3
another medium, they are called as riding-in-tandem. In this mode of committing a crime, they
utilized a motorcycle to facilitate their immediate escape from the scene of the crime. One will
drive, and the other one will perpetuate the crime of taking personal belongings such as pieces
In a report issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) sometimes June 2018, a total
of 880 people have been shot dead by unidentified riding in tandem, while 47 others have been
In March 2020, a Filipina young actress named Kim Chui while riding in her Hyundai
van, the riding-in-tandem burst gun fires against the van when they arrived in a stoplight along
Katipunan Avenue corner CP Garcia Avenue, Barangay UP Campus, Quezon City. According
to the authorities, the gunmen were kept on observing than from the moment they left the house
in one of the subdivisions in Quezon City until reaching the crime scene. 6
Jealousy, anger, and revenge are among factors identified by law enforcers and
One of the most controversial crime in the country happened in 2014 at Olongapo City.
Where a transgender woman Jennifer Lauder was found dead, her body is wrapped by bedsheet
with her head submerged in the toilet of the hotel room. The assailant was identified Joseph
Scott Pemberton, a Private First Class of U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Battalion-9th Marines of the
West Pacific Express. Laude met Pemberton, a disco bar along Magsaysay Drive. Pemberton
was held to trial and found guilty in the crime of homicide, instead of murder, as decided by a
Regional Trial Court in Olongapo City. The decision of the lower court was upheld by the
Special Sixteenth Division of the Court of Appeals.7 Later, the case of Laude triggered political
4
reforms as to gender measures and topics. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
(LGBT) communities sounded their alarms to fight for the rights of their colleagues who were
The environment of a person, including peer groups, also contribute to the development
of deviant behavior.
In New York, the United States, a Barnard College freshman student Tessa Majors while
walking along the Manhattan's Morningside Park near her school of December 11, 2019, was
suddenly attacked. Accordingly, her aggressors allegedly planned to rob her but she was stabbed
several times during confrontation, she died due the multiple wounds incurred. The perpetrators
In the town of Banga, South Cotabato, a Grade 10 student of the Notre Dame of Banga
was reported missing by her mother because the young girl failed to return home from school
and lost contact with her. Two days after, the girl was found with her hands tied and placed on
a sack in a waterway in Purok Bagong Silang, Barangay Punong Grande in Banga past 2:00pm.
The Regional Director of Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 12, Brig. Gen. Alfred
Corpus, conveyed to the public that as to the results of the initial investigation conducted by
crime scene operatives indicated that the victim was died from drowning. Further, initial
findings of the crime scene operatives was supported by an autopsy conducted by the municipal
health officer wherein the victim incurred wounds in her head and neck. 9
On the other hand, mental deficiency and abnormalities somehow affect an individual's
reasoning and judgment. These individuals needed much attention, and careful treatment, failure
5
In a firing incident that took place sometimes in December 2012 at the Sandy Hook
Elementary School, Newton, Connecticut, USA. Where a 20-year-old Adam Lanza shoots to
death around 26 individuals, mostly school-children in less than five minutes, after that, he
pointed the weapon against himself and fired. Authorities found out that Lanza, who is fun of
playing computer games, is suffering from Asperger's syndrome. This developmental disorder
Nevertheless, common reasons for committing a crime are always the primordial
attention of law enforcement agencies. These include poverty, peer pressure, the influence of
drugs or alcohol, deprivation of opportunities, unfair treatment, and ill-influence of the use of
technology. Identifying these reasons are important for crimes to be properly and effectively
addressed.
Recently, crime and safety report of the Philippines for the year 2019, physical assault,
theft, and robbery were the most common crimes committed and reported to local authorities.
Other crimes, including pickpocketing, confidence schemes, and credit card fraud, we're also
committed in 2018. The report was released by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate
Some, if not all, law enforcement and other concern agencies, local and abroad, adheres
and utilizes the three elements to explaining the existence of crime, which is commonly known
The Houston Police in the United States of America, 12 enumerated three elements of
crime, in their pamphlet, which includes: (1.) target – victim, (2.) desire of the criminal, and (3.)
opportunity.
6
The Routine Activity Theory13 purported that crime has three elements, namely: (1.)
motivated offender (2.) suitable target and (3.) absence of capable guardian.
On the other hand, the Tribal Oriented Policing Strategies 14 suggested that the crime
triangle has three elements: (1.) the offender, (2.) victim, and (3.) location.
Upon careful observation and analysis of several crimes that took place across the
country for the past years as well as the existing principles introduced by different exponents in
the study of crime, it is empirical to come up with contemporary measures and principles to
address these issues as a social phenomenon. Because of the preceding, the author at this
moment presented the contemporary concept of the four elements of crime trough the
Suppression, if not prevention of crime, is the primary purpose of all law enforcement
agencies around the globe. Strategies, principles, and protocols were laid down to effectively
prevent the commission of crimes and the development of criminal behaviors as well. But, it
seems they are not successful. The effect of these is more on reduction than complete
suppression.
detail that comprises and causes the existence of a particular event. Therefore, probers
consisting of the reaction team must look into the elements of a phenomenon for them to
strategize their actions. The strength of the agency must prepare law enforcement strategies.
This paper was stirred from Jock Young's "Square of Crime" 15 16 in 1997. Wherein, he
stated that gradual reform will deliver change. He also considered street crimes and other most
7
significant crimes. In addressing these menace, social reaction through general and
multidimensional approached may be applied. With this, he enumerated the four elements of
crime namely the (1) police (formal control), (2) public (informal control, (3) offender, and (4)
victim.
the fundamental comprising elements of crime, namely (1) offender's motive, (2) opportunity,
To show the relationship of the four elements and how they complement each other. An
illustration using a square was utilized. Square is a polygon, flat in shape with four equal sides,
having each side 900 angle known as right angle. The right angle displayed that each elements
supplement one another to form a square. The four right angles represents the four elements
Offender's Motive
8
This element is inherent to the offender that refers to the moving power or the desire of
the offender to perform an illegal act. Though motive of the offender in committing crime is not
punishable, it remains an essential element for the crime to takes place. Literally, it is something
David Allen, a productivity consultant, once stated that: "passion is not something you
go after as an end in itself. It's rather a symptom of your engagement with anything into which
you are fully immersed. It also not something you usually know you have. Others notice your
Passion can be generally classified as positive or negative. Positive passion is the most
powerful of all emotions. Positive passion allows individuals to fully achieve one's potentials
Sliwinski18 also enumerated several types of passion. These includes passion for money,
solution, product, growth, industry, help and synergy. While negative passion refers to intense
emotion that is experienced by any individual in times of crisis or emergency. This passion
includes pain and hatred or obsessive emotion that may cause distraction to oneself or others.
In the figure presented (see Figure No. 1), the offender's motive may be strengthened
whenever he is given or found an opportunity to effect such a motive. Motive became strong
when instrumentation, or the means to perform an offender's motive is sufficient and powerful.
Thus it would be easy for the offender to effect his desires to committing crimes.
Opportunity
The opportunity simply refers to the condition that paves a way to achieve one's desire.
It is considered as the chance to commit a crime that may originate from the victim or the
9
environment (location) where the crime would possibly take place. Opportunity to commit
unlawful acts is one of the essential elements of a crime that an offender is seeking or preparing
for. These things are due to a lack of curiosity about the surroundings and preventive measures
The environment may also contribute whenever the offender found the place suitable to
perform and affect his motive. Hence, there is no such thing as a perfect place for crime.
would create an opportunity for the offender to perform illegal acts, for example, the act of
pickpocketing or oral defamation. Pickpockets see it more advantageous whenever the place is
crowded example is during festivity or other mass gatherings. Thus, it would be easy for them
to perform pickpocketing and may select as many victims as they could. While, in oral
defamation, insulting others in front, many people escalate the offender's satisfaction in
Instrumentation
motive of the offender. This may also refer to the capabilities or competencies of the offender
to perform an act. In performing an act, bodily strength and functions, simple machines, or
From the legal point of view, instrumentation as means refers to the external acts
For example, Martini wanted to retaliate against the person who threatens his father. In
retaliating, the former went to the hang-out place of said person and suddenly stabbed the person
to death.
10
The act of stabbing is the instrumentation employed by Martini. Thus, it constitutes an
external act. External acts refer to any bodily actions performed with full volition and free will.
In cases of violations, these external acts (commission), together with the failure to perform a
intensifies. An offender impels with the passion of resentment and animosities, turns him to be
more determined to plan thoroughly and employ whatever available means to effect his desires.
The place (location) will also strengthen the means or methods prepared by the offender
to effectively and efficiently perform his plans for committing a crime. It is believed that the
more suitable the place is, the more effective the means would be. For example, killing other
people can be the best and easy to perform in an uninhabited place. Where there is a great
distance between the houses, none if not few persons are using the road and most of the time,
roads are not well lighted. These features would be the best suitable place for an offender to
perform the method and utilizing the prepared instrument to commit illegal acts.
Location
Location is any place that serves as the venue to which crime will take place. Most of
the crime has crime scenes. This is one of the most essential and indispensable elements,
especially in the conduct of crime detection and investigation. Location is the place where
probers may found and recover pieces of evidence from proving the alleged facts and from
identifying the perpetrator. The location of the crime could be elsewhere, room, kitchen, toilet,
vacant lot, interior or outside of the building, inside the car, along the road, computer, and the
network (for cybercrimes) and among others can be considered to be a crime scene.
11
Location of crime, may directly or indirectly affect how means (instrumentation) of
committing a crime be employed. It may also create an opportunity for the offender to perform
his desires. Routine activity theory emphasized that all crimes are related to the environment,
and it happened through ecological processes by the offender, the victim, and the environment
surrounding them.
Sociologists around the world agreed that crime is a social phenomenon. Hence, it
confers that the location of crime maybe elsewhere in society. Whenever the offender saw it
suitable or perfect to perform his desires, any place can be the location of the crime known as a
crime scene. It could be a room, open space, riverbank, hallway, and etcetera.
Conclusion
It is empirical to use a theory or principle which are universally accepted and applied in
explaining and investigating social phenomenon such as crime. The Rudimentary Square of
Crime could be one of the best theories to guide and aid probers and researchers to better
The author now ensures that research works and studies of other authors incorporated
or included in this manuscript are properly paraphrased and cited. Further, the terminology
the theory is concerned, no need for consent of other authors because the author formulated the
said theory. As to the involvement of other person/animal in the preparation of this manuscript,
the author held responsible for any counterclaims that may arise.
12
References
Rappler Philippines.
6. Cabreza, D.B. (2020) Van ni Kim Chiu sinadyang barilin; Abante – TNT.
13
7. Call Her Ganda: A Jennifer Laude's Story (2019) Available
8. Morales, M. (2019) Police release teen questioned in Barnard College student's killing,
10. Cable News Network (2019), Sandy Hook School Shootings Fast Facts; November 22,
2019.
12. Houston Police; Personal Safety (.pdf); Crime Triangle: Houston City, United States of
America.
14. Tribal Oriented Policing Strategies (.pdf); The Crime Triangle; Available
15. Lea, J. (2015). Jock Young and the Development of Left Realist Criminology: Critical
Criminology.
16. Lea, J. (2016) Left Realism: A Radical Criminology for the Current Crisis; International
17. David, A. (2001) Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity; Penguin
14