Crime and Deviance Flashcards
Why do the Bourgeoise get away with crimes?
- Can afford better lawyers
- Will bribe individuals
- Have authoritative contacts
Corporation Crime - Volkswagen
Volkswagen cheated emission tests so they would not need to pay high taxes on their vehicles. The chief executive has resigned and the company was sentenced fines.
Corporation Crime - Starbucks
Starbucks has been committing tax avoidance by paying significantly less corporation tax than it should have. Its profits had been transferred to offshore accounts to reduce the amount of tax they were paying in the UK. Fines were issued.
Example of Benefit Fraud
Anthony Kearney and Donna McCafferty (2010) were imprisoned for 2 years and sentenced to 250hrs of community service after committing benefit fraud and several credit card frauds, despite having large savings in offshore accounts.
Government Crime - MP Scandal
Almost 20 MPs pocketed up to £180,000 each after selling their taxpayer-funded second homes for a profit, in recent years. In most cases, MPs will resign from their positions or be issued fines.
Why are there high crime rates in urban areas?
High density population
- more opportunities, e.g. cat burglary
- people less likely to know everyone in their community so criminals go unnoticed
- police use formal methods of policing which can be ineffective
Social deprivation
- low incomes
- high unemployment
Community Policing
Suggested in the Macpherson report:
- Police have a neighbourhood to deal with.
- Officers are of the same ethnicity as community
- Officers assigned to schools to teach them about Joint Enterprise, for example.
Zero Tolerance
- Much harsher sanctions, e.g. criminal record
- No petty crimes are excused
- Anti-social behaviour is taken seriously
- Based on ‘broken window’ theory - deal with crime before it worsens
- Aims to deter people from committing crime
- Can lead to ethnic minorities feeling victimised (e.g. black people are three times more likely to be stopped and searched)
Mosquito Devices
- Release a high-pitched sound best heard by 16-25 year olds
- Aims to stop loitering/damaging property
- Over 3,000 devices have been put in shops and public places
- Critics argue it goes against basic human rights
Judiciary System
Branch of government given the authority to implement the law, adjudicate legal disputes, and otherwise administer justice.
- Involves MPs, judges and lawyers
- Responsible for courts, prisons and probation services (supervision)
Penal System
Refers to the network of agencies that administer prison and community based programs like parole (temporary prison release) and probation (supervision).
- Involves anyone responsible for supporting or dealing with criminals, e.g. police officers, probation officers, psychologists etc.
Prisons Facts
- 81 out of 138 prisons in the UK are overcrowded
- To house a prisoner each year costs taxpayers £40,000
Young people and reoffending
- Young people who have committed non-violent crimes are likely to reoffend within two years.
- Short term prisoners do not receive the same level of support - education, counselling and rehabilitation.
Why do women commit less crime than men?
- Gender socialisation, e.g. boys associated with pirates
- Girls are more closely supervised and controlled by the family so have fewer opportunities to commit crime, e.g. early curfew
- Women have more responsibility in the family, e.g. consider their children etc.
Why do men commit more crime than women?
- Gender socialisation, e.g. boys associated with pirates
- Higher sex drive explains sexual assault
- Peer pressure, e.g. Anti school culture (Paul Willis)
- Traditionally breadwinners
- Status frustration, i.e. boys underachieving at school find other ways to feel included (gang culture)
Why are less women convicted?
- Chivalry Factor (legal system should protect women)
- Women not seen as a threat to the public
- State do not want to break up families
Are women committing more violent offences?
Yes, the number of women guilty of murder and vicious assault has risen by 81% since 1998.
Women and Crime - Ohio Mother
Ohio Mother (2015) was sentenced to live in prison after raping her twelve year old daughter with her boyfriend.
Women and Crime - Rosemary West
Rosemary West is a British serial killer who was convicted for 10 murders in 1995. She was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Why are Afro-Caribbean men most highly represented in prison?
- Highest lone parent families so are neglected and suffer material deprivation (gang culture develops)
- Three times more likely to be excluded from school than another other ethnic group
- Most likely to live in urban areas, where there are opportunities to commit crime (gang culture develops)
Why are Indians least likely to commit crime?
- Wealthy
- Extended families
- Strong sense of community
- Religious teachings
Institutional racism
When organisations find ways to discriminate against ethnic minorities, e.g. not promoting them.
Race Relations Act (1965)
Law designed to prevent racial discrimination in the workplace.
Why do people believe ethnic minorities are responsible for crime?
- Xenophobia/Ignorance
- Media creates moral panic
Stephen Lawrence (1993)
- Murder had a racist motive and five suspects were never convicted
- Died due to negligence by the police force - no first aid attempted
- Sir William Macpherson report followed in 1999 stating the police are ‘institutionally racist’
Macpherson report recommended:
- Police officers have first aid training
- More ethnic minority police officers hired (community policing)
- Police officers using racist language are disciplined
- Independent Police Complaints Commission
67/70 recommendations are currently in action today.
Crime and Disorder Act 1998
Hate crimes are officially recognised and given harsher sanctions - considers both physical and verbal offences.
- Religion
- Race
- Sexuality
- Disability
- Gender
Secret Policeman by BBC Panorama (2003-2008)
Covert observation in the police force lead to 10 police officers forced to resign with even more disciplined.
- 1 in 122 police officers are BME
- MET only managed to raise BME by 8% when the target set was 25% in 2008
- 72% of BME felt they had experienced racism in the police force
- Chief Constable, Michael Fuller felt he needed to be “over qualified” for his position.
Summary Offences
- Matters that can be tried by a judge alone
- Less serious
- Dealt with in the short term
Examples include traffic offences, property damage and minor assaults or offensive behaviour.
Indictable Offences
- Matters which require a trail by judge and jury
- More serious and dealt by higher courts, e.g. Supreme Court
Examples include indecent assault (rape), drug trafficking and murder/manslaughter.
Counter Terrorism and Security Act (2015)
- Disrupts ability to travel and engage in terrorist activity, e.g. police can temporarily seize passports at the border
- Disrupts the ability for British citizens to return suspected of terrorist activity abroad
- Makes it the duty of organisations (schools) to prevent children being radicalised
Serious Crime Act (2015)
- Harsher punishments for computer organised attacks
- Brings new provisions to tackle FGM, i.e. duty of teachers and health/social workers to notify police for children under 18
Joint Enterprise (2010)
Individuals who are not directly involved in crime, but have knowledge of or encourage it, receive the same sentence as the perpetrator.
Knife Crime (2010)
Maximum sentence raised from 2 to 4 years.
Clare’s law (2013)
Men and women have the right to know if their partner has a history of violence.
London Riots (2011)
A serious of riots broke out in London boroughs following the shooting of Mark Duggan by police in Tottenham.
- Sociol and economic inequality
- Racial profiling
- Weak police response
- Youth unemployment
- Opportunism
Theories on Crime (5) - Psychological
- Hans Eysenck was a psychologist who claimed that extrovert personalities are more likely to commit crime due to short temper etc.
- Stanley Cohen was a sociologist who claimed that a traumatic event during an individual’s childhood makes people criminal.
- Howard Bowlby was a sociologist who claimed that children lacking their mother’s love turned out to be heartless and immoral.
Theories on Crime (5) - Biological
Lombroso was a physician who claimed that people are born criminal due to their genetics:
- People with primitive features (big jaws, high cheekbones and extra nipples) are likely to be immoral.
- His claimed Jews and black people are most likely to commit crime.
- In Nazi Germany, skulls would be measured to determine how likely someone is to be criminal.
Theories on Crime (5) - Functionalism
Emile Durkheim was the founding father of functionalism:
- People are criminal due to their upbringing and environment
- Dysfunctional families lead to criminal offspring, especially if education fails the child.
Theories on Crime (5) - Sociological
Labelling Theory and Self-fulfilling Prophecy:
- Society labels people based on their appearance
E.g. Boys wearing baggy trousers and hoodies are labelled criminal. If they are told they are trouble markers enough they will see no point in working hard in school and life.
Theories on Crime (5) - Marxists
Society as a Cause for Crime:
- Stanley Cohen and Marxists believe that the media shows happiness in materialism, especially in the west.
- People commit crimes, such as theft and fraud, because they want to conform and fulfil their selfish desires.
Intensive Supervision and Surveillance (2001)
ISSP was launched by the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.
Most people spend 6 months on the surveillance programme which involves tracking, tagging, voice verification and intelligence-led policing. The programme offers education/training, interventions to tackle behaviour (anger management) and family support.
Youth Inclusion Programme (2000)
Operates in the most deprived neighbourhoods in England and Wales. Participation is voluntary - but intended for the ‘top 50’ 13-16 year olds at highest risk. The scheme provides sports, music groups, drama workshops, language support and holiday clubs etc.
Anti-Social Behaviour Order (1998-2015) followed by Crimbos
Introduced by Tony Blair, Labour and later replaced by Coalition proposition of Crimbos. ASBOs can be issued to anyone over the age of 10 who engages in anti-social behaviour. It prevents them from going to certain places and meeting known ‘trouble makers’ as well as drinking in the streets. Crimbos allows action to be taken faster (within hours even). Breaching the ASBO results in fines and community service.
Criticisms of ASBOs and Crimbos
- shorter prison sentences are ineffective
- young people have criminal records unnecessarily
- does not solve the problem in most cases (no support given)
- people more likely to resist
- can be counterproductive if seen as a status symbol or badge of honour
British Crime Survey
A survey carried out on people’s experience with crime every five years.
Victim Surveys
An anonymous questionnaire completed by victims on how many crimes they have been a victim of over a certain period of time.
Self Report Studies
An anonymous questionnaire completed by perpetrators of crime on how many they have committed over a certain period of time.
White collar crime
- Crimes committed by people in relatively high-status positions (business managers, lawyers, accountants etc).
- Examples include tax evasion, embezzlement, fraud etc.
- Such crimes are committed in the everyday work context rather than on the streets so go undetected
- The police is not called in many cases so crimes go unreported and unrecorded
- Usually resolved through fines as oppose to prison sentences
Anti Social Behaviour
Acting in a way which causes harassment, alarm or distress to another person or group of people, e.g. binge drinking.
Anomie
Normlessness - social break down (lack of social or ethical standards)
Emile Durkheim coined the term after work on his suicide theory.
Thought that people commit crime because they do not feel part of society, e.g. London Riots.
Stereotype
Generalisations made about a group of people based on the actions or characteristics of a minority from that group.
Chivalry Thesis
Male dominated police force and courts are not as harsh on women as they are not considered a threat.
Dark Figure of Crime
Refers to the number of unreported and unrecorded crime.
Master status
A position which has exceptional importance to social identity, often shaping the person’s entire life.
Probation
The release of an offender from detention, subject to a period of good behaviour under supervision.
Different to parole which is temporary or permanent release of a prisoner subject to good behaviour before the expiry of their sentence.
Socially defined behaviour
Idea that same behaviour can be seen criminal in one society by praiseworthy in another.
Social Order
Ways society is organised to maintain stability, in terms of peace and harmony.
Surveillance
Closed observation of a group or individual.
Abu Ghraib Torture
During the war in Iraq that began in March 2003, personnel of the US Army and CIA committed a series of human right violations against detainees in Abu Ghraib prison.
