C&D- AGE & CRIME

Question 1

Police labeling

Answer 1

The types of crimes committed by young people, such as theft, are more likely to be reported to the police

Question 2

Reasons why young people commit more crime:

Answer 2

Status frustration
Peer group pressure or subculture membership
More likely to be out at night
More likely to suffer relative deprivation and marginalization
More likely to be unemployed
Reasons why young people may appear in the OCS more

Question 3

How does offending behavior change with age?

Answer 3

Offending rises steeply from ages 10 to 18, declines sharply around age 24, and then undergoes a long, slow decline through the remaining age groups.

Question 4

What does the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 state about age and criminal responsibility?

Answer 4

Until recently, no criminal conviction was possible for anyone under 10 years old, but this changed following the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Question 5

What is juvenile delinquency?

Answer 5

Juvenile delinquency refers to deviant and criminal behavior committed by young people.

Question 6

What do OCS and self-report studies indicate about age and crime?

Answer 6

Most offenses are committed by young people, particularly teenagers and young adults in their early 20s.

The highest rate of offending for men is at age 19, and for women, at age 15.

Theft is the most common crime committed by young people, followed by drug offenses, violence against the person, and burglary.

Question 7

How do OCS and self-report surveys evaluate youth crime?

Answer 7

OCS: Young people’s crimes, like theft, are more likely to be reported, leading to over-representation in the OCS, while crimes by older people, such as white-collar crime, often go unreported.

Self-report surveys: These traditionally focused on male juvenile delinquency, like street crime, while ignoring crimes by all age groups, such as domestic abuse and fraud. This design leads to over-representation of young people’s criminality.

Question 8

Explanations for Youth Crime
How does A. Cohen’s Functionalist theory explain youth crime?

Answer 8

Young working-class males experience status frustration, leading them to deviant behaviors to gain status.

Question 9

How do Cloward & Ohlin (Functionalists) explain youth crime?

Answer 9

Young working-class males join subcultures when legitimate opportunities are blocked, leading to deviance.

Question 10

What does Matza argue about delinquency?

Answer 10

Young people drift into delinquency due to weakened social bonds and status frustration, which erodes their sense of identity.

Question 11

What do Right Realists say about youth crime?

Answer 11

Young working-class males are poorly socialized, which contributes to criminal behavior.

Question 12

What do Left Realists say about youth crime?

Answer 12

Young working-class individuals are the most likely to experience marginalization and relative deprivation, often due to unemployment.

Question 13

What does Neo-Marxism (Gilroy) suggest about youth crime?

Answer 13

Young ethnic minorities may rebel against societal racism, leading to deviant behaviors.

Question 14

What do Katz and Lyng argue about thrill-seeking behaviour?

Answer 14

Edgework describes how young people seek thrills and take risks to achieve status within their peer group, which encourages deviance.

Question 15

How does Hirschi’s Control Theory explain youth crime?

Answer 15

Hirschi suggests that young people have weaker social bonds, making them more likely to commit crimes because they have less to lose.

Question 16

Control Theory (Hirschi)
What question does Control Theory seek to answer?

Answer 16

Hirschi asks why most people do not commit crime despite human weaknesses that make them susceptible to temptation.

Question 17

How does Control Theory explain crime?

Answer 17

Hirschi argues that social bonds encourage self-control, tying individuals to conformity and discouraging crime. When these bonds weaken or break, people are more likely to turn to crime.

Question 18

What are the four social bonds identified by Hirschi?

Answer 18

Belief
This refers to a person’s belief in social norms, values, and laws. If someone strongly believes that societal rules are fair and just, they are less likely to break them. Weak beliefs or a lack of moral conviction make people more prone to committing crimes.

Attachment
Attachment refers to emotional connections and relationships with others, such as family, friends, or teachers. Strong attachments make individuals more likely to care about the opinions and expectations of others, discouraging criminal behavior. Conversely, weak attachments reduce the influence of these social pressures.

Commitment
This represents the investments people make in their future, such as education, careers, or social status. People who have more to lose (e.g., a good job or reputation) are less likely to risk it through criminal behavior. Those with fewer commitments or future prospects may feel they have little to lose and are more inclined to deviate.

Involvement
Involvement is the extent to which people are engaged in conventional activities, such as school, work, or hobbies. The busier someone is with lawful pursuits, the less time and opportunity they have to engage in criminal behavior. Those who are idle or lack structured activities may have more opportunities to commit crimes.

Question 19

Evaluation of Youth Crime Theories
What do Interactionists say about youth crime and labeling?

Answer 19

Interactionists argue that young people are not inherently more criminal than adults, but they fit the image (typification) of a typical criminal. This makes them more likely to be stopped and searched by the police.