AC1.1 Compare criminal behaviour and deviance Flashcards
What are values?
Values are general principles or guidelines for how we should live our lives.
What are norms?
Norms are specific rules or socially accepted standards that govern people’s behaviour in particular situations.
What are moral codes?
Moral codes is often used to describe a set of basic rules, values and principles held by an individual, group, organisation, or society as a whole.
Define deviance.
Deviance is a behaviour that differs from the norms of society.
Three types of deviant behaviour is?
- Admired behaviour - deviant but considered good e.g. saving a life while risking your own life.
- Odd behaviour - deviant by being odd or different from norms e.g. multiple cats.
- Bad behaviour - deviant as its bad e.g. assaulting a person.
What is a formal sanction?
Formal sanctions are enforced by the government and its agencies, such as the police and courts or by people in positions of authority such as teachers enforcing school rules.
What is a informal sanction?
Informal sanctions are used when rules aren’t formally written down and are unspoken.
What is a positive sanction?
Positive sanctions are rewards for behaviour society approves of e.g., medals for bravery, praise from a parent, can also be formal or informal.
What is a negative sanction?
Negative sanctions are penalties for disobeying the law or rule.
What is social control?
Social control (all sanctions are forms of social control) means ways that society tries to control our behaviour and ensure we stick to norms and values of society.
Define criminal behaviour.
Criminal behaviour is a form of deviance that involves serious, harmful acts that are a wrong against society. These acts are so disruptive that the state has to intervene and punish by law.
What is the social definition for criminal behaviour?
- Public have different views on what really is a crime.
- Laws are changed to reflect changes in public opinion.
- Not all acts that people think should be made crimes are, this is usual due to the influence politics, media, and large businesses have.
What is the legal definition of criminal behaviour?
For a court to consider a defender’s action to be a crime, the action must normally have two actions:
- Actus reus, which means a guilt act.
- Mens rea, which means a guilty mind.
There are two expectations to this principle:
- Strict liability.
- Self-defence.
Seriousness of the offence:
- Summary offences are less serious offences, such as speeding. They are tried by magistrates.
- Indictable offences are more serios offences, such as rape. They are tried in a Crown Court before a judge and jury.
Subject matter of the offence:
- Violence against the person – murder
- Sexual offences – sex trafficking
- Offences against property – theft and robbery
- Fraud and forgery – frauds by company director
- Criminal damage – arson
- Drug offences – supplying or possessing heroin.
- Public order offences – riot and violent disorder
