Crime and law

Question 1

What the biological reasons for crime?

Answer 1

Hormones, psychopathy, warrior gene

Question 2

Example for psychopathy:

Answer 2

Aaron Campbell who killed 6 year old girl Alesha Mclphail on the Isle of Bute has been labelled a psychopath as he showed no remorse for his actions

Question 3

What are social causes of crime?

Answer 3

Peer pressure, social environment, poor role models, lack of education/boredom

Question 4

Example for poor role models:

Answer 4

Boys with a father who has been sent to prison are twice as likely to find themselves convicted in life

Question 5

Example for social environment:

Answer 5

A good social environment will have less abuse, drugs, alcohol, also will have things like parks+ leisure centres w/o these it leads to boredom. In 2023 over 30 children were charged after Scot’s buses and drivers weee targeted in a large number of incidents such as throwing bricks at buses.

Question 6

What are Economic causes of crime?

Answer 6

Poverty, greed

Question 7

Example for poverty:

Answer 7

Cost of living crisis has led to people not being able to afford necessities which makes people turn to crime eg drugs/ shoplifting. In 2022-2023 shoplifting has increased by 31%.

Question 8

Example for greed:

Answer 8

Office manager of an Edinburgh property firm who wanted a luxury lifestyle embezzled over £900,000 and was jailed for 3 years.

Question 9

What are the Consequences of crime on a family:

Answer 9

Grief, a member of the family is in prison,

Question 10

Example for grief:

Answer 10

The families of the girls who were murdered at their Taylor Swift dance class in Southport were devastated and shocked by the loss of their child.

Question 11

Example for a member of family in prison:

Answer 11

The families can face financial difficulties + stigma from community. The sub-post masters who were accused of embezzling money from the people in their community and many local people turned against them.

Question 12

What are the consequences of crime on the perpetrator?

Answer 12

Prison, stigma

Question 13

Example for prison:

Answer 13

The isolation can be very difficult to cope with so this may lead to taking drugs such as SPICE (zombie drug) and becoming addicted

Question 14

Example for stigma:

Answer 14

Can make it very hard for people to get a job however Timpsons actively employ people with a criminal record, 12.5 people in the UK have a criminal record as of 2024

Question 15

What are the consequences of crime on a victim?

Answer 15

Death, loss of employment or poverty due to injury

Question 16

Example for death:

Answer 16

Lucy Letby murdered 6 babies and injured many others

Question 17

Example for poverty/ lack of employment due to injury:

Answer 17

Older people who face dishonesty crimes such as computer fraud and scams may lose a lot of money and feel shame about falling victim to these crimes.

Question 18

What are the consequences of crime on a community?

Answer 18

Fear, the community being labelled as bad

Question 19

Example for fear:

Answer 19

After the disappearance of Sarah Everard, citizens in Clapham were afraid to go out and once it was discovered that is was a police officer who abducted her the community did not trust the police

Question 20

Example for the community being labelled as bad:

Answer 20

People won’t want to live there, businesses won’t want to open and citizens in the area are labelled as bad and may find it harder to find employment

Question 21

What are the consequences of crime on wider society (the whole of the UK)

Answer 21

Increase in insurance premiums, the cost to taxpayers, instillation of CCTV

Question 22

Example for increase in insurance premiums:

Answer 22

Insurance companies need to cover their costs which affects people all over the country, in 2023-2024 130,000 cars were stolen which led to an increase in car insurance costs for drivers

Question 23

Example for the cost to taxpayers:

Answer 23

Taxpayers to need pay more for the nhs to cover wounds caused by crimes eg since 2008 it has cost £3 million more per year to treat knife wounds