An Analysis of the Socio-cultural Preventive Measures against Tendency towards Committing Theft in Sanandaj

Kurdistan is one of the provinces with low level of theft occurrences. Considering the theories based on cultural elements and components and adopting quantitative approach and survey method, this study aimed at identifying the socio-cultural preventives of tendency towards committing theft. The statistical population of the study included the citizens, experts, law enforcement experts, and cultural affairs experts of different organizations in Sanandaj from which 265 persons were selected as the sample. The results showed that the citizens’ beliefs in religious teachings, their adherence to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, Sharia affairs, and Halal- and -Haram;observing Islamic ethics, social control, and self-control; respecting the collective values; the rule of law; high social security in the province; high level of contentment; familialism and family orientation; patience, tolerance, and fatalism; socioeconomic homogeneity of the society ; and citizens' awareness of the crimes were among the most important preventive measures against the occurrence and/or less tendency to committing theft in Sanandaj. In sum, the results of the study indicate a high level of effectiveness of socio-cultural preventive measures against tendency towards committing theft in this region. Although the context of each issue or problem and its solutions are different, the results of this study support the effectiveness of relying on culture and its elements in reducing crimes and in establishing security in the society, especially in vulnerable ones.