Why Do People Commit Crimes For Love?

By: Leah Oliver

A Youtube series, “For My Man” shows the horrors of supporting your man’s dangerous lifestyle. (Credit: yidio.com)

The idea of being down “for your man” has been a consistent idea, whether it be in someone’s personal life or across mainstream media.

Much like the famous Bonnie and Clyde, women think a man wants her to support him in dangerous ways, things like hiding the stash, keeping the murder a secret, or hiding the gun.

People who idolize the Bonnie and Clyde relationship often take the phrase “ride or die” too literally, even if it means a woman sacrificing her own safety.

This was proven to my friends and I as we watched a YouTube series titled “For My Man.”

The first episode involved a struggling couple who were overdue on bills. As people say, desperate times time call for desperate measures. They made plans to hit a lick—rob someone.

She found out he had a gun and was taken back; he told her it was just for show.

To her surprise, he shoots a man after the attempted robbery. He apologized and promised he would not fire the gun again.

They made plans for a second robbery. He breaks his promise again and shoots the one of the victims. The victim is later pronounced dead.

Too bad for them, they were caught on camera walking away from the scene in the parking lot. Even after this incident she stuck by him until the police questioned her and she was given no choice but to put her kids before him and herself.

After the first broken promise to not use the gun, many would say she should have left. The way they tell the story, she was so in love with him.

So, I guess she was blind for love. Many of these stories include the woman being in love with their crime partner. It starts off with either a nice steady or steamy romance.

Basically, holding your man down is enabling him and not promoting accountability or suffering the consequences for bad decisions. If you love someone why let them dig the hole deeper for them to fall in?

People who find themselves in these situations don’t see it that way. Their love for this person clouds their judgment.

It is possible their sense of judgment may have already been lacking further explaining why they were in that relationship.

The infatuation stage is characterized by intense short-lived passion and admiration. People don’t stay in love forever, but this neurochemically and emotionally heightened stage makes people want to stay in it a long as they can.

If you were in bliss, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to leave. A lot of the time people who find themselves in a criminal tangle  with a lover do not have a handle on sensible love.

Their idea of love and the way of showing it is tainted due to past incidents or trauma. The idea of holding your man up is a quite new social concept that was trending on social media with memes.

Before a woman even gets there to hold a man up, her standards must be solid and unchangeable.  

Her self-value and outlook would have to be so strong that she wouldn’t jeopardize her life or future in the name of love.

A headstrong logical woman cannot be dragged along for the ride.

Loving someone so much that you would do anything for him or her, like committing crimes or getting jammed up with the police is just nonsense.

Sacrificing your own morals and life cannot be real love- that is putting someone else’s life before your own.

Ultimately, putting oneself aside completely for someone else is an indication of a lack of self-love, so remember to value yourself before you ruin the rest of your life for someone else.