Chapter 5: Correlates Flashcards
Why are youth overrepresented in crime statistics?
- Maturational Reform: As you get older, there are more things in place to prevent you from doing crime (physical limitations, social bonds that matter, social responsibility), plus youth are more susceptible to peer influence.
- Adolescents are in an in between stage. They aren’t adults or children, crime may be a form of self-discovery
- Money is necessary for participating in society. If youth wish to participate, but are not yet allowed to work, they will steal in order to participate.
What is life-course theory?
The study of the role of age-graded transitions and society’s ability to enforce its norms on people (social control). It says that major life events will help to naturally reduce crime.
Tid-bit! The Romance-Crime Nexus: Following a break-up, men are much more likely to commit crime than women! Probably due to the fact that they’re not allowed to have emotions. Men and women will both increase their rug and alcohol level
Discuss the 4 key questions in Gender
- What proportion of women are accused of crime as opposed to men? Answer: Super small! With the exception of theft and fraud
- Why are women given more lenient sentences than men in terms of length and incarceration. Answer: Women typically commit less serious offences, and have kids to take care of so they’re let out earlier!
- What proportion of women are labelled “dangerous offenders” as opposed to men? Answer: In 500 dangerous offenders, ONE is a woman. Why?
a) Genders have different classifications of violence
b) In parenting styles, boys are more likely to emulate aggression, and emotional influence is more emulated by females
c) Men are more prone bow to peer pressure, so supervision of friendships helps. Not so with girls
d) Women experience more social pressure to be nonviolent
e) Boys are often encouraged towards fighting e.g. boxing, play fighting, boys will be boys
f) Boys are less emotionally attached to their families - Are changing gender roles likely to influence crime rate in women? Answer: Role Convergence Hypothesis
a) Patriarchy exercises intense control over female behaviour. Rising gender equality may lead to rising crime in women
b) Police are intentionally charging more women instead of just letting them walk, and men are overall experiencing a decrease in crime
c) Occupational crime (embezzlement): About 50/50 gender wise, implying that women are now presented with more opportunity to manage lots of money. Women are still twice as likely to claim familial financial need in defence of this crime
d) No rise in corporate crime: women are often involved in this due to i) association with the mastermind, or ii) are the object of mastermind manipulation
What are the 5 pathways that lead to female involvement in crime?
- Harmed and harming women: Women who have grown up in an abusive environment, and are now taking their trauma out on others. Anger-based
- Battered women: Women who will kill an abusive partner out of self-defence
- Street women: Typically harmed women who got involved in street crime to stay alive after leaving an abusive home. Moar prison time too
- Drug-connected: Family, partner, peers are involved in drugs and so they are involved by association
- Other women: Women who commit crime for economic gain
Why is race not reported during charges, and why should it be reported?
An issue because:
1. Police suck at it
2. It can be hard to guess at
3. It could be used as a way to justify racism
Should be supported because:
1. It helps to verify claims of preferential treatment
2. It may help us to find ways to challenge biological theories of crime
Who is most likely to be overrepresented, and what are the two theories as to why?
The minority of the area will be overrepresented e.g. in Alberta it’ll be indigenous folk, in Ontario it’ll be African-Canadians. Theories:
- Differential Offending Hypothesis: There is a fundamental differences between races and their likeliness to offend
- Differential Treatment Hypothesis: Structural inequality causes overrepresentation of minorities
a) People with a certain criteria will get more overall attention from police, and are more likely to get caught if they do commit a crime
b) With hot spot policing, certain areas get more attention than others
c) Police. Can. Be. Racist.
What are some issues between Indigenous People and the Canadian Criminal Justice System?
- They are overall detained LONGER, as they are denied bail, held in pretrial detention, are often charged with more offences and are more than twice as likely to be incarcerated because they don’t spend a lot of time with lawyers or don’t get representation at all.
- Indigenous elders are NOT given the same status as priests
- Often plead guilty because they are so darn scared of the system!
- Inmates are released later in their sentences, are more likely to go back to prison, and are highly overrepresented in cases of maximum security, segregation, use-of-force, and self-harm
What are the theories as to why indigenous people are overrepresented in the criminal justice system?
- Cultural theories: Their culture of sharing and conflict resolution does not jive with our ways and laws. Some issues with this!
a) Based on the assumption that all indigenous cultures are the same, WHICH THEY’RE NOT
b) Assumes that indigenous culture is static and is not open to influence
c) Creates stereotypes of “indigenous behaviour”
d) A cultural explanation that indigenous delinquency is inevitable, which it ISN’T
What’s important: Bi-dimensionality. We expect indigenous people to be part of our culture, but we do not provide them with the opportunity to do so. (Discrimination) - Structural Theories: Apply criminality to historical context and societal structures. The distribution of resources (education etc.) and the criminal justice system make way for racial profiling. Models!
What are the three models of structural theories on indigenous overrepresentation
- The Colonial Model: Sociopsychological - structural oppression, alienation adaptation. Stages!
a) One group invades the territory of another
b) Enforced adoption of norms, cultural impositions (residential schools). Culture disintegrates and is recreated
c) Invaded people now have to answer to the power structure of the invading culture e.g. our police and military
d) Caste system occurs, resources such as jobs are racially distributed. Poor/indigenous commit crimes
What’s important: This is deliberate destruction of group cohesion, as natives must prove they are not inferior, like their racial peers. They are double alienated as they separate themselves from their culture in order to fit in with western society, and will even commit violence against members of their race - Historical Trauma Transmission Model: The loss of social self and culture can result in alcoholism etc. Creates a culture of learned helplessness and trauma through PTSD and FASD, storytelling, abuse, and memories
- Critical Race Trauma: Social Constructionist approach: Social reality is not an observable, measurable thing. It’s subjective!! States that our institution makes assumptions about what universally counts as crime. Crime is what society deems it to be. Calls out assumptions that: i) Law reflects dominant norms and values, ii) Law interpretation is subjective, iii) racism is normal and iv) Indigenous are overrepresented due to systemic exclusion
What is racialization, and what does it lead to?
Special significance is given to features of individuals to make races seem significant.
1. Select human characteristics
2. Sort people based on those characteristics
3. Attributing traits to these categories of people
4. Acting as though this means anything whatsoever
This can structure citizens’ views of police
What are three factors that link substance abuse to crime?What are three factors that increase the risk of youth addiction?
- You can commit crime to support your addiction
- Being under the influence can cause crime
- Simply HAVING drugs is a crime
* 3/4 inmates enter prison with substance abuse history
Youth risk: - Party drug scenes
- Street entrenched users over 19
- Youth on the street 15-19
What does the Goldstein Model say about crime?
The Goldstein model says that there are three ways drugs cause crime
- Psychopharmacological causes: Drugs mess up your BRAIN and change your behaviour
- Economic Compulsion: You need MONEY to feed your habits
- Systemic Dimension: Any involvement with substance WILL result in violence due to territory disputes, robber, killing snitches, debt enforcement, etc.
* Cocaine and prostitution are STRONGLY linked, also alcohol sucks
What are some effects that socioeconomic status has on crime?
3 Fundamental findings:
- The link between socioeconomic status and crime is indirect, there are lots of variables involved
- Low socioeconomic status promotes delinquency because of financial strain, alienation, and aggression
- High socioeconomic status promotes delinquency by instilling the belief that the rules don’t apply to you
People typically notice the effect of low SES more because middle and upper class are often ignored. Also having jobs typically reduces crime!
What does spatial location have to do with crime?
Typically, when you live in a criminal neighbourhood, you commit more crime cuz we community beings.
Collective efficacy theory: Mixture of social cohesion and a willingness to intervene for the common good. Crime comes from 3 dimensions of cultural disadvantage
1. Concentrated disadvantage
2. Immigration concentration contributes to collective efficacy
3. Residential
People are more likely to commit crime in groups when in neighbourhoods with racial homogeneity. This applies to indigenous folk!
