2B: Definitons, Measurements + Perceptions of Crime

Question 1

Functionalists

Answer 1

Functionalists share the views of positivists and tend to accept crime statistics uncritically

Question 2

The functionalist inspired sub cultural theory

Answer 2

Started with the view that crime is a young working class male phenomenon

Question 3

Left realist

Answer 3

Left realists are almost unique in accepting that official statistics have some value and should not be rejected out of hand

Question 4

Which view do left realists accept

Answer 4

They accept the statistical view that typical offenders are young male working class and disproportionately black

Question 5

Marxists views on statistics

Answer 5

Marxists recognise the systematic bias in favour of the powerful in the application of the law they believe that law making and enforcement serve only the interests of the ruling class

Question 6

What is a general rule for Marxists

Answer 6

As a general rule the higher people are in the social system the less likely they are to be arrested, changed, prosecuted and found guilty

Question 7

What do Marxists believe that crime is

Answer 7

Marxists believe that crime is a social phenomenon created by the upper classes to keep the lower classes in check. They also believe the ability to prevent the passing of any legislation which could threaten their interests

Question 8

Marxists

Answer 8

Stress the significant ‘dark side’ of white - collar and corporate crime that is largely invisible and absent from crime statistics

Question 9

How does the interpretive approach see crime

Answer 9

The interpretive approach sees crime statistics as largely useless and a distortion reality

Question 10

What do interpretivists agrue statistics are

Answer 10

They argue statistics are a social construction and tell us nothing about the real level of crime only who complied them and how

Question 11

What is the Labelling theory interested in

Answer 11

Labelling theory is more interested in questions such as why some acts are viewed as more deviant than others and why some groups become labelled deviant

Question 12

Feminist view on statistics

Answer 12

Feminists argue that crime statistics underplay the extent of females as victims :personal attack : domestic violence etc

Question 13

What has been happening about domestics until recently

Answer 13

Until recently the police viewed attacks in the home as ‘domestics’ and were reluctant to get involved ‘what went in behind closed doors’

Question 14

Why are many female victims physical and sexual attacks reluctant to report offences

Answer 14

• unemployed
• have ever used class A drugs

Question 15

What is most likely to lead to underreporting

Answer 15

Where people perceive an act to not actually constitute a crime this is most likely to lead to underreporting

Question 16

What percentage of people in England and wales think crime has gone up in the past few years

Answer 16

78% of people in England and wales think that crime has gone up in the past few years according to the latest survey but the data on actual crime shows the exact opposite

Question 17

What effect has security improvement had on crime

Answer 17

There is string research evidence to support that there have been a decrease in burglary, car crime and domestic violence and other violence against women due to security improvement.

Question 18

Examples of security improvement

Answer 18

Stringer doorframes, double glazed sundowns and security fittings

Question 19

What happened when teenagers could no longer commit ‘debut crimes’

Answer 19

When teenagers could no longer commit these easy debut crimes they did not progress to longer criminal careers

Question 20

How are cyber crimes different

Answer 20

The skill set resources and rewards for cybercrime are very different. And reflects new crime opportunities facilitated by the internet

Question 21

How have concern about crime changes from 2016-2019

Answer 21

Concern about crime went from a low in 2016 (during Brexit) quadrupled by 2019 ans plummeted during the pandemic but the concerns have risen again in the past year

Question 22

Poor information

Answer 22

People who watch TV and read lots of newspapers will be exposed to a diet of crime stories which doesn’t reflect official statistics

Question 23

What have most recent terrorist attacks in the uk been and does this show restrictions are effective

Answer 23

Most recent terrorist attacks in the uk have featured knives but there is little discussion of how this indicates that measures to restrict guns and bomb making resources are effective

Question 24

Examples of political rhetoric skewing perceptions

Answer 24

• conservatives were for an advert portraying London as crime capital of the world
• labour has also made references to high levels of crime under the govt

Question 25

Why may some concerns be justified

Answer 25

Crime is more likely to recur against the same people at the same places

Question 26

What is the general perception of crime in Scotland

Answer 26

Crime has filled in the last 15 years as well as people generally feeling safer in their environments though people have less confidence in the police

Question 27

What percentage of adults believed were excellent or good in Scotland

Answer 27

49% of adults believed the police in their area were doing an ‘excellent’ or good Job in 2021/2022 which is a decrease of 61% 2012/18 and 65% (2019/2020)

Question 28

What percentage of people in Scotland believed crime decreased

Answer 28

Only 8% of people thought crime decreased

Question 29

What did the CSEW consistently show

Answer 29

The survey still consistently shown that most people perceive that crime across the country as a whole has still been rising although the proportion of people reporting this has decreased in recent years

Question 30

Which question was introduced in April 2008 in the crime survey for England and wales

Answer 30

A question was introduced in the CSEW to ask respondents how likely they think they are to be a victim of crime in the next 12 months

Question 31

How many people said they were likely to be a victim of crime in the next year

Answer 31

In the year ending march 2009 1 in 4 people (26.2%) said they thought they were very or fairly likely to be a victim of crime in the next year since then there has been a gradual but significant decline to around 1 in 5 people (19.1%) on the year ending march 2016

Question 32

What is the decline in people believing they are likely to be a victim of crime because of

Answer 32

This decline is the perceived likelihood of being a victim of crime corresponds to the overall trend in CSEW crime prevalence which significantly decrease from 23.3% in the year ending march 2009 to 15.2% in the year ending march 2016

Question 33

2022 crime perception of public

Answer 33

Crime in America is decreasing but according to statistics 78.9% believed it had increased only 18% believed it has decreased