The Effective Factors on the Criminal Behaviors in Gorgan City Resorts and Preventive Strategies(Case Study: Alangdareh and Naharkhoran Resorts)

Extended Abstract Introduction It is important to investigate the factors associated with the occurrence of crimes and provide solutions to prevent their occurrence. Golestan province is one of the main tourism hubs in Iran due to its geographical and climatic features. Therefore, the existence of security in recreation centers should be considered. One of the factors that may reduce the acceptance of tourists in resorts in the province is the occurrence of criminal behavior in these neighborhoods. These criminal behaviors reduce the security and welcome of travelers to these resorts. The high incidence of crime in the recreational areas of Gorgan, especially the Alangdareh and Naharkhoran resorts, in some hours, is one of the concerns of law enforcement and security managers that threatens attract of travelers to recreational areas. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to identify the effective factors on the criminal behaviors in Alangdareh and Naharkhoran resorts and the strategies to prevent it. The main question of the present study is what are the effective factors on the criminal behaviors in Alangdareh and Naharkhoran resorts and the strategies to prevent these criminal behaviors? Methodology The present study in terms of purpose and the nature of the data is an applied and qualitative one, respectively. For this purpose, by studying and reviewing the files in the police station, Criminal Investigation Department and Drug Control Headquarters related to the studied areas, the necessary data were collected and analyzed. The statistical population included all cases that were formed in the police station, Criminal Investigation Department and Drug Control Headquarters due to criminal behaviors in the resorts of Gorgan in the first 9 months of 1396. Also, the community of participants related to identifying strategies to prevent the occurrence of criminal behavior, including commanders, managers and law enforcement experts and professors of sociology at universities in Golestan province which was over 60 people. Cases related to criminal behavior in Gorgan resorts amounted to 321 cases. The sampling method in this section was available randomly. The sample size was determined based on Krejcie Morgan's table of 181 files and finally it was possible to receive 185 files. For this purpose, the files were divided by month and about 15 cases were selected from each one. Also, purposeful sampling to theoretical saturation was used to select the participants of the interview section, and finally 52 people were interviewed. Validity of research data were performed based on three indicators: "transferability", "reliability audit" and "verifiability". In order to find the causes of common criminal behaviors, the available data in the files of the police station, Criminal Investigation Department and Drug Control Headquarters related to the studied areas were exerted. Semi-structured interview tools were also exploited to obtain strategies to prevent common criminal behaviors in Gorgan resorts. In order to analyze the obtained data from the semi-structured interview with the participants, the qualitative content analysis method was used with a summary approach. Results and discussion Findings showed that the most common crime in Gorgan resorts in 1396 (36.8% of all crimes) is theft. In the meantime, beatings and alcohol consumption after the theft were the most common crimes that occurred. Regarding the cause of crime, the most common cause of crime is related to financial need, which was about 9.7% (18 cases) of the total crime. Then addiction, criminal friends and psychological reasons accounted for the largest percentage of the cause of the crime. Regarding the most important cause of crime in this study, namely financial need, experts pointed to job creation, lending and skills training of teenager and young people. Regarding the prevention of crimes related to psychological disorders, the most common strategies were the allocation of funds by the government to reduce the cost of psychological treatment, culture about psychotherapy and insurance coverage of counseling services. The present study showed that the decisive approach of the police is one of the strategies to prevent crime. According to the repeat offenders' approach, a number of offenders commit the most crimes. Conclusion The decisive treatment of criminals by the police will lead to reduce the incidence of crimes by these individuals. The findings of the present study showed that the presented social prevention strategies in this study are as follows: The allocation of funds by the government to reduce the cost of psychological treatment, culture about psychotherapy and insurance coverage of counseling services, educating teenagers and families about addiction and its consequences, teaching teenagers and families about the role of friends, teaching communication skills such as the skill of saying no and creating a warm and intimate atmosphere at home to meet the emotional needs of teenagers, teaching families about intimate relationships at home and teaching them about appropriate parenting techniques, job creation, lending and skills training for teenagers and young people.