Crime And the Law (The impact of crime) Flashcards
(The impact of crime) How are victims impacted by crime in general?
For some crimes there may be physical damage or harm.
Victims also respond emotionally to the crime, the degree of which depends on the crime experienced. This also depends on the different groups of victims.
(The impact of crime) How do people react emotionally to crime?
Many people feel a sense of annoyance at property crime, and/ or anger.
Other crimes that are violent can bring out deep reactions in people such as anxiety or depression.
(The impact of crime) Which 4 groups are most likely to be victims of crime?
Those in poverty
The young
The elderly
Women and families
(The impact of crime) How does crime impact those in poverty?
Fear of mugging and violent attacks makes people in more deprived areas ‘very worried’ about living in their area. They cannot afford to pay for expensive alarms or taxi rides so are more likely to be victims of crime.
(The impact of crime) Why are young people less likely to report certain crimes?
Young people who are victims of crime at the hands of other youths are unlikely to report crimes due to fear of repercussions, for example further attacks, and the safety of their friends and families.
(The impact of crime) How does crime impact on young people?
Many young people report that they carry a weapon because of their experience of being a victim of assault involving the use or threat of a knife.
Events at school make young people more likely to be victims of crime as victims cannot escape the school grounds. For some young people this can generate feelings of isolation and alienation, and school work often suffers.
(The impact of crime) How does crime impact the elderly?
Almost half of those aged over 75 are too afraid to leave their homes after dark because they believed they would be subject to verbal abuse or mugging.
One fifth stated this fear has caused a sense of loneliness or isolation.
Their lives are made a misery due to crimes such as theft or fraud.
(The impact of crime) How does crime impact women and families?
Women are often victims of violent crime. At least 1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their life time. Some women have to raise families on their own because absent fathers are in prison.
(The impact of crime) How can crime impact the offender in general?
Criminals spend time in prison, which should act as a deterrent for future crimes, as well as a rehabilitate step to becoming a law abiding citizen, however committing a crime can have huge personal consequences as well as impacting on the offenders families.
(The impact of crime) How does crime impact on the offender?
After they have served their sentence many convicted criminals find life very difficult. They suffer from a lack of employment opportunities.
Travel to and from other countries can also be affected.
Their ability to hold down long term relations can be impacted as well as the ability to build up trust in friendships and within their community.
(The impact of crime) How many employers would not employ a convicted criminal?
It is estimated that 7 out of 10 employers would not employ a convicted criminal.
(The impact of crime) How is travel impacted by a criminal record?
The USA has very strict VISA application procedures, if an applicant has a criminal record it is likely they will be denied access.
(The impact of crime) How does crime impact the families of the offenders?
Some families experience a great deal of shame and embarrassment.
They are sometimes targeted in bullying or revenge attacks. In extreme cases they may be pushed out the community altogether.
(The impact of crime) How does crime negatively impact on the community?
Once an area experiences high crime levels the impact may be long lasting and span generations.
It may cause many law abiding citizens, given the chance to move out of these areas.
Community spirit may be damaged and as a result there may be less neighbourliness as people want to keep themselves to themselves to avoid harassment.
Areas with high crime levels often suffer from vandalism, making the area less desirable and more dangerous.
Fear of crime also deters people from using public facilities
(The impact of crime) How can crime impact positively on communities?
On occasion, some crimes can bring communities together, in February 2011 thousands of people from communities around Blantyre marched in support of murdered teenager Reamonn Gormley’s family
