NCJ Number
161140
Date Published
1996
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Using Adler's (1983) development of the theory of "synnomie" to explain why some countries have low crime rates, this paper focuses on an explanation of low crime rates in Bahrain, an Islamic island country located in the Persian Gulf.
Abstract
Bahrain is in the process of rapid industrialization and urbanization and is increasing in population size at a rate of 4 percent per year. Bahrain's Ministry of Information has estimated that the crime rate has increased by 1 percent from 1985 to 1988. Although the actual amount of crime in Bahrain is impossible to determine, reported crime statistics are used in this study to illustrate the point that crime in Vermont, a State that has the closest population in numbers to Bahrain, has twice as much reported crime as Bahrain. Even in the wake of rapid industrialization from the traditional village society, whose economy was based upon pearl diving, Bahrain has remained relatively homogeneous. The formal and informal social control mechanisms are interwoven throughout Bahraini society. The Islamic religion lays the foundation for life, and its influence is evident in several critical areas within Bahrain: the family, neighborhood, education, and social activities. Bahrainis place a high value on their responsibility for the family. The authors conclude that the low crime rate in Bahrain confirms Adler's theory of synnomie, which she defines as the "state of sharing of norms or customs and, beyond that, a system of intact social controls capable of assuring such a sharing." In Bahrain there is a system of values sharing, and the common denominator required for a state of synnomie is the religion of Islam. A 37-item bibliography