crime&deviance- ethnicity

Question 1

What are the key trends in terms of offending amongst ethnic minority groups?

Answer 1

Black people are most likely to be imprisoned, black people make up 3% of the population but 13.1% of the prison population, white people are underrepresented at all stages of the CJP

Question 2

What did Phillips and Bowling identify in terms of stop and searches for ethnic minority groups?

Answer 2

Black people are 7x more likely to be stopped and searched, they point out many officers have negative stereotypes about ethnic minorities.

Question 3

What are the 3 explanations for the differences in stop and searches?

Answer 3

Police racism, ethnic differences in offending, demographic factors

Question 4

What do left realists believe about ethnic minority crime?

Answer 4

They believe crime is a product of relative deprivation, subcultures and marginalisation

Question 5

Why are statistics on MEG crime socially constructed according to neo-Marxists?

Answer 5

Result from police’s negative stereotypes of ethnic minority groups and racism within the institution of the criminal justice system.

Question 6

Why is black criminality a myth according to Gilroy?

Answer 6

Idea of black criminality was a racist stereotype of African Caribbeans and Asians

Question 7

What did Hall discuss?

Answer 7

That in 1970 there was a moral panic over ‘black muggers’. In reality this was a new name for street robbery/ violence. It was used as a scapegoat to divert attention from the true cause of problems such as unemployment.

Question 8

What is the Macpherson report?

Answer 8

Published in 1990, said police are institutionally racist against ethnic minorities.

Question 9

What are the patterns of ethnic victimisation?

Answer 9

Police recorded 54,000 racist incidents in 2014/15, mostly damage to property and verbal harassment. CSEW estimates there was 89,000 racist/ religious aggravated offences. 8,600 people prosecuted/ cautioned for racially motivated offences in 2014.

Question 10

What are the responses of ethnic groups to being victimised?

Answer 10

Situational crime prevention measures e.g. fireproof doors/ letterboxes. Organised self defence campaigns aimed at physically defending neighbourhoods from racist attacks.