age and crime Flashcards
What are some facts about age and offending?
peak age for offending is between 15-18, young males more likely than young females.
young ppl always been over-represented in crime statistics , despite each generation creating their own moral panic about the youth today, young offences are usually trivial and opportunistic.
what act was significant to changing statistics on crime and disorder?
crime and disorder act 1998, saw the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales to 10 years.
How is youth labelling an explanation for links between youth and crime deviance?
Becker relies on theory of labelling as cause of crime. Labelling can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy, labels assigned to people become true and people fulfill labels.
Labels in education can lead to educational failure and crime as a last resort for these people.
How is status frustration an explanation for links between youth and crime deviance?
Cohen- peer group can make up from lack of status w-in school, employment or family.
young people are demographic most susceptible to status frustration through school. Lack of status can be converted and expressed through crime.
How is inadequate and inappropriate socialisation linked to youth crime and deviance?
Murray- lone parent families mean that children are socialised w-out adequate father figure at home.
lack of adult role model means children engage in “yob culture” and turn to crime.
How is peer group status and w/c focal concerns linked to youth crime and deviance?
Miller-w/c young males more likely to get involved in crime due to focal concerns of subculture involving toughness, fatalism etc. These focal concerns are developed around crime and exemplifying violence.
How is delinquency, drift and techniques of neutralisation linked to youth crime and deviance?
Matza-young people go through period of “drift” where they no longer children but not adults.
during period, moral bonds are weak. Techniques of neutralisations show juvenile delinquent have same moral values as society.
e.g.- “its not my fault”- deflecting blame from self, perpetrator is ridding selves of guilt.
Explain the vulnerability of the youth?
60% of young people in youth offenders institute have speech/language/communication problems.
YOI- suggests 11% have physical needs, 43% emotional/ mental health needs, 49% substance misuse needs.
YOI’s are not rehabilitating their prisoners, not providing them w adequate support.
YOI are not working
What are three reasons why older people are less likely to engage in crime?
older people are closer to death and therefore value life more and wont go to prison.
older people are more likely to have diseases to stop them committing crime
already spent so long conforming to norms and values of society
