Crime in Modern Britain – 1900- Present Day Flashcards
Crime rates in the early 20th century.
The crime rate in early 20th century Britain was low even during the terrible poverty and unemployment of the 1930s.
Crime increased from 1960 but began falling in the late 1990’s and is now at its lowest level since 1981..
How have changing social attitudes had an impact on what is viewed as a crime today?
Homophobic crime.
Until 1967, homosexuality was illegal in the UK.
In 1967 the Sexual Offences Act was passed which decriminalised homosexuality for men aged over 21.
In 2005, the Criminal Justice Act gave courts new powers to issue more severe sentences for hate crime including homophobic crime.
Until then, if a person was attacked for being ‘gay’ it was treated the same as any other crime. However, now it is seen as a hate crime and so is treated more seriously by the authorities.
How have changing social attitudes had an impact on what is viewed as a crime today?
Race Crime
In the 1950s, Britain became more multicultural when people from Commonwealth countries (which had been part of the British Empire) came to live in Britain.
In 1968 the Race Relations Act was passed which made it illegal to refuse jobs, housing or public services to anyone on the basis of their race, ethnic background or country of origin.
In 2006, spreading of racial or religious hatred became a hate crime where a criminal can receive a harsher sentence if they attacked a person because of their race, religion or sexuality.
How have changing social attitudes had an impact on what is viewed as a crime today?
Domestic Violence
In the 19th century it was seen as acceptable for a man to beat his wife with the authorities refusing to interfere.
The suffragettes and the contribution made by women in the First and Second World wars led to people changing their views about domestic violence. What had been seen as acceptable was now unacceptable.
In 1976, the Domestic Violence Act was passed which gave victims the right to ask for an injunction against a violent partner.
Injunction means a court order which orders a person to stay away from a person or place e.g an ex-partner and their home.
In 1991 the law was changed to recognise rape in marriage (previously women were expected to accept the sexual demands of their husband without complaint). This meant men could be prosecuted for raping their wife.
In 2014, the law made controlling and coercive behaviour (using force or threats) towards a partner a crime. This included telling a partner who they can/can’t see, what they can wear, stopping access to money and controlling when they leave the home.
BUT domestic violence is still a big problem e.g in 2015-2016 - 7.0% of women and 4.4% of men were estimated to have experienced domestic abuse = 1.2 million female and 651,000 male victims.
AT LEAST TWO WOMEN IN ENGLAND AND WALES ARE KILLED BY THEIR CURRENT OR FORMER PARTNER EACH WEEK
How have changing social attitudes had an impact on what is viewed as a crime today?
Abortion
Until 1967 terminating a pregnancy was illegal in Britain with a few exceptions for strict medical reasons e.g if a mother might die as a result of the pregnancy. Some women were so desperate they resorted to ‘back street’ abortions which were carried out by someone without proper medical training.
Before 1967, some women tried to end their own pregnancies by using alcohol, wire coat hangers or poisons which sometimes led to the mother’s death.
In the 1960’s there was a growing liberalisation which led to calls for the law to be changed.
1967 Abortion Act legalised abortion if;
-The child was going to be seriously disabled
-The mother was at risk of serious physical or mental harm if the pregnancy
continued (had to be agreed by two doctors).
In 1968, the legal limit for the latest stage when an abortion could take place was when a woman was 28 weeks pregnant.
* Today the legal limit for abortion is 24 weeks.
* Abortion is illegal in Northern Ireland so many women from there come to England for an abortion.
What Social Crimes are there in Modern Britain?
Tax evasion –costs the UK government about £16 billion every year.
Using illegal drugs – a drug survey done in 2014 reported than 1:3 adults had taken illegal drugs at some point in their life.
Copyright theft – in 2015, the government claimed 7.8 million internet users in the UK had illegally downloaded music, films and TV.
Driving Offences - In 2016 - 46% of cars exceeded the speed limit on motorways and 53% of cars exceeded the speed limit on 30mph roads.
Smuggling – In 2008, smuggling of cheap cigarettes and alcohol into Britain cost the government £5.5 billion in lost taxes.
Attitudes towards social crimes
Smuggling
Most people would disapprove of the smuggling of illegal drugs but be less worried about the smuggling of alcohol or cigarettes.
-In 2009, it was estimated that the British government lost £5.5bn. from smuggled alcohol, cigarettes, hand-rolled tobacco and petrol. In 2017, Britain has the most expensive cigarettes in Europe because of government taxes e.g about 82% of the cost of an average packet of 20 cigarettes goes to the government in tax duty. This makes an average packet of 20 cigarettes in the UK cost £9.91compared to Spain where the same packet would cost £3.93. This explains why many people buy smuggled cigarettes.
Attitudes towards social crimes
Driving Offences
- In 1925 it became illegal to drive a car whilst drunk.
- By 1930 there were 1 million cars on the roads which had increased to 6 million by 1960 and 25 million by the 1990s.
- At first motorists did not need a licence to drive a car but this led to a high number of accidents e.g 7,343 people were killed on the roads in 1934.
- In 1935 all drivers had to pass a test, pay road tax, get insurance and make sure their car was roadworthy.
- In 1967 -The Road Safety Act was passed which introduced the first maximum legal blood alcohol (drink driving) limit in the UK BUT often people broke the law and drove having had several drinks.
- In recent years because of government campaigns, drink driving and speeding is considered very wrong. About 85,000 are convicted of drink driving offences every year in the UK, including footballers such as Wayne Rooney.
- About 4,000 people a year die in road accidents today compared to 6,500 in the 1930s.
- Car theft is also in decline because manufacturers have improved car security e.g in 2015 in Britain 69,500 cars were reported stolen compared to 231,000 in 2014.
- However about 50% of all court cases today are to do with cars.
Crimes which show a continuity with the past
Terrorism
- Terrorists want to recruit others who are sympathetic to their cause and intimidate those who do not share their views. The Gunpowder Plot of November 1605 would be considered a terrorist plot today.
- In 20th century various terrorist organisations have operated in the UK such as the IRA (Irish Republican Army) which used violence to campaign for a united Ireland.
- In recent years, Al-Qaeda and Isis have been responsible for appalling acts of terrorism around the world. The most infamous attack was that on the World Trade Centre in New York City on September 11th 2001 where 2,753 people were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were intentionally crashed into the north and south towers.
- On 22nd May 2017 a suicide bomber killed 22 people in the Manchester Arena following a concert by the pop artist Ariana Grande. This is one of many terrorist attacks carried out in Britain and Europe in recent years.
- Today, terrorists use the Internet to spread their message through propaganda videos. It is also used to raise funds and co-ordinate attacks. Some websites even show how to make a bomb.
- Other groups such as animal rights activists use terrorism to further their cause.
Crimes which show a continuity with the past
People Trafficking (smuggling people from poorer countries to the UK as slaves or workers on very low wages)
- It is estimated that in the past five years the number of people being trafficked into Britain has risen by 245%.
- 3,266 people in the UK in 2015 were thought to be the victims of modern slavery compared with 946 in 2011, a rise that has worried the British government
- Some women and children are forced into prostitution, with the greatest number coming from Albania.
- Criminal gangs control these modern day slaves and use blackmail, coercion and fear against their victims.
- People trafficking is not a new crime e.g the term ‘white slave trade’ was first used in the 1830s to refer to female prostitution, particularly of poor girls aged 12 and above
Crimes which show a continuity with the past
Cybercrime
any crime carried out using the Internet and digital technologies
-This is a new form of fraud and is on the increase e.g 5.6 million fraud and computer misuse crimes in 2016 alone in the UK. Now thousands of people can be targeted at once using the Internet.
Fraud
Impersonating other people or businesses to make money illegally e.g posing as a bank or charity to get hold of someone’s bank details. Emails are sent to a large number of people in the hope that some will fall for the crime.
Copyright Theft
denying an author/artist/ etc. the right to be paid for their work by copying it/downloading it without paying for it.
* Copyright applies to books, films, music and games.
* In the past this meant photocopying or video recording without paying the creator. Today it applies more to illegally downloading computer games, films and television shows.
Extortion
making someone pay money using threats and blackmail.
* In the past this was done using letters, the telephone or in person.
* Today, the Internet means this can be done on wider scale e.g criminals get money by threatening to hack businesses computer systems and databases.
Murder
the number of murders each year varies but in 2015 it rose by 11% in England and Wales with 573 murders. Most murders are carried out by men with the majority knowing their victim.
