Crime/Law Flashcards
1
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TYPES OF CRIME: HATE CRIME
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- crime committed against someone due to their race, religion, sexuality or disability, and can include things like threatening language or violence.
- EG. hate crimes in Manchester rose by 500% after the Manchester Arena Bombing in 2017.
2
Q
TYPES OF CRIME: POLITICAL CRIME
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- crimes carried out for a political cause rather than personal gain, including things like bombings and terrorist attacks.
- EG. the Manchester Arena Bombing in 2017 was carried out by a man with associations to ISIS.
3
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TYPES OF CRIME: PROPERTY CRIME
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- includes things like burglary, breaking and entering, theft, car crime and more.
- Argyll Arcade Robbery in Glasgow, where armed thieves smashed shop windows with hammers in broad daylight and stole watches.
4
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SOCIAL CAUSES OF CRIME: PEER PRESSURE
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- young people may commit crime in order to keep the respect of their friends or peers, or because it is expected in their social circle.
- EG. the east end of Glasgow has a strong youth gang culture, and is considered a ‘hotspot’ for criminal activity.
5
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SOCIAL CAUSES OF CRIME: LACK OF EDUCATION
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- young people who are not educated are more likely to commit a crime due to a lack of prospects or knowledge.
- EG. Prison Reform Trust found that 51% of people going into prison have the literacy skills of an 11 year old.
6
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SOCIAL CAUSES OF CRIME: POOR ROLE MODELS
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- neglect, criminality in parents and family violence can all be factors that can lead a child into crime.
- EG. research suggests teenagers without good role models are 67% less likely to get a job, and would then turn to crime.
7
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ECONOMIC CAUSES OF CRIME: POVERTY
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- poorer families may not be able to afford activities and material goods that they need, turning to crime for basic necessities.
- EG. Glasgow city has the second most deprived area in scotland and has the highest crime rate.
8
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ECONOMIC CAUSES OF CRIME: GREED
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- our ‘materialistic’ society means that many people steal to gain what they desire, even if its not necessary.
- EG. Argyll Arcade Robbery, where armed thieves smashed shop windows with hammers in broad daylight and stole watches.
9
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ECONOMIC CAUSES OF CRIME: UNEMPLOYMENT
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- people may turn to crime when unemployed either due to a lack of income or a lack of prospects.
- EG. the telegraph reported that over 20% of unemployment benefit claimants were convicted criminals.
10
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BIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF CRIME: GNEDER
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- a belief that hormonal differences between men and women result in women being less aggressive as they have lower testosterone levels.
- EG. men committed 77% of crimes last year in the UK.
11
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BIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF CRIME: DEPRESSION
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- those with depression may lack hope and be unable to find work or socialise, leading them to crime for income or a thrill.
- EG. 4% of men who were diagnosed with depression went on to commit a crime.
12
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BIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF CRIME: ADHD
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- evidence suggests many people with this condition tend to struggle in school and at work, meaning they may turn to crime.
- EG. BBC found that 37% of people with ADHD had committed a crime.
13
Q
YOUTH CRIME: BURGLARY
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- involves the illegal entry of a building with the intent to commit a crime, especially theft (gives a thrill quickly and is easy)
- EG. in 2014, roughly 30% of burglaries were committed by 10-17 year olds.
14
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YOUTH CRIME: KNIFE CRIME
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- involves carrying, threatening people with, or violently using a knife (carry for protection, impress their friends)
- EG. 59% of crimes involving knives were carried out by young people.
15
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YOUTH CRIME: DRUG CRIME
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- involves possessing, manufacturing or distributing drugs (something new and impress peers)
- 2015, UK had the joint highest number of young cocaine users, alongside spain.
16
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CRIME ON COMMUNITY: ENVIRONMENTAL POVERTY
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- high crime areas often suffer from vandalism making the area less desirable and meaning people do not want to use public areas.
- EG. 2016, highest number of vandalism incidents was recorded in Anderston, with 609
17
Q
CRIME ON COMMUNITY: FEAR
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- anti-social behaviour can lead to fear amongst residents, as they may not feel safe enough be outside in their area.
- EG. survey of 4000 people found that 47% of over 75s are too scared to go out after dark.
18
Q
CRIME ON COMMUNITY: HOUSE PRICES
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- increased crime in an area means that demand for housing falls as people don’t want to live there, and prices fall too.
- EG. average house price in Bearsden is £340k, but in Easterhouse it is £60k
19
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CRIME ON PERPETRATOR: LACK OF FREEDOM
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- cannot do certain things due to their record, like travelling freely as countries may restrict those with a criminal record.
- EG. America and Australia have particularly robust VISA application processes.
20
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CRIME ON PERPETRATOR: STRUGGLE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT
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- can be difficult to find work as you need to declare your past record, and many places will choose someone else over a criminal.
- EG. 60% of criminals reoffend, possibly due to employment issues.
21
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CRIME ON PERPETRATOR: RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN
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- being in prison means spending less time with family. leading young people to grow up without good role models.
- EG. to visit someone in Barlinnie, you need to provide ID and a proof of address which can be difficult to organise quickly.
22
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CRIME ON VICTIM: EMOTIONAL IMPACT
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- knowing that someone has intentionally tried to cause you harm can make people feel vulnerable/powerless, this can often last longer than physical issues.
- EG. less than 1% of victims said their physical injuries were the worst part of their encounter.
23
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CRIME ON VICTIM: PHYSICAL IMPACT
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- after a crime, victim may be left injured and this may stop them from completing everyday tasks, elderly people may even die.
- EG. ACC highlighted that old people who were victims of burglary were more likely to die earlier.
24
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CRIME ON VICTIM: FINANCIAL IMPACT
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- may need to pay for thing they normally wouldn’t, like a house alarm or more insurance.
- EG. individuals without insurance may need to replace stolen property after a theft.
25
CRIME ON ECONOMY: EXPENSIVE TO TAXPAYER
- cost of putting criminals through courts and punishing them is taken from taxpayers, and can be put into other public services.
- EG. prisoner costs £41k per year
26
CRIME ON ECONOMY: TREATING VICTIMS
- may also be a cost of treating victims of crime - services such as NHS or VSS need funding.
- EG. each year roughly £2 billion is spent on treating victims of crime.
27
CRIME ON ECONOMY: LOSS OF CUSTOM
- crimes at certain shops may mean customers are afraid to return and staff may be too scared to work, meaning money is lost.
- EG. a hostage situation lasted 8 hours at the Amarone Restaurant in Glasgow
28
DIVISIONS OF THE POLICE: ARMED RESPONSE UNIT
- tasked with countering crimes committed by armed criminals, as they are trained themselves to properly operate firearms.
- EG. responded to Manchester Arena Bombing in 2017.
29
DIVISIONS OF THE POLICE: COMMUNITY POLICING
- aims to prevent anti-social behaviour and build a level of trust by providing a visible presence.
- EG. 55 'Campus Cops' were sent to schools across Scotland, aiming to build relationships and stop youth crime.
30
DIVISIONS OF THE POLICE: MOUNTED POLICE
- often used for crowd control due to their size and height advantage, as well as being a visible presence to deter criminals.
- EG. often attend Old Firm matches as there is a high chance of a violent, uncontrollable crowd.
31
ROLES OF THE POLICE: PREVENT
- have a presence in the community and visit local schools to give presentations on the risk of crime, aiming to prevent youths.
- EG. 55 'Campus Cops' sent to scottish schools aiming to build relationships and stop youth crime.
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ROLES OF THE POLICE: INVESTIGATE
- carry out investigations/interviews to identify criminals, and may also use CCTV footage to help with this.
- EG. CCTV was crucial in the investigation of the murder of Karen Buckley.
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ROLES OF THE POLICE: PROTECT
- often a police presence at large demonstrations/events with large crowds to ensure everything runs smoothly and there is no crime.
- EG. often attend Old Firm matches due to the high risk of a massive, violent crowd.
34
POWERS OF THE POLICE: ON THE SPOT FINES
- can prescribe a financial penalty to someone as an alternative to facing prosecution.
- EG. if someone is caught littering they can be fined £80
35
POWERS OF THE POLICE: SEARCH A PERSON
- can search a person or vehicle without a warrant, looking for items like stolen property, weapons or drugs.
- EG. between 2018 and 2019, 50,000 stop and searches were recorded in scotland.
36
POERS OF THE POLICE: BREATHALYSE
- can conduct breath tests at the roadside to determine whether someone is driving under the influence of alcohol.
- EG. 1/15 of drivers stopped near Christmas in 2019 were over the legal limit.
37
POLICE METHODS: VRU
- work alongside the police and gov to tackle violence by implementing projects, such as visiting schools and discussing the risk of gangs.
- EG. in 2 years violent crime in Easterhouse fell by 46% thanks to the VRU.
38
POLICE METHODS: COMMUNITY POLICING
- encourages local communities to work closely with the police and build trust with locals, as well as having a visible presence in the area.
- EG. Chief of Police said that despite budget cuts, there will be no reduction in community policing, showing its importance.
39
POLICE METHODS: CCTV
- used in towns and businesses to record criminal activity and allow the police to identify/charge more offenders, as well as deterring others.
- EG. there are around 5 million CCTV cameras in the UK.
40
POLICE INITIATIVES: DISABILITY HATE CRIME
- aims to reduce hate crimes against disabled people by encouraging them to report all incidents and providing info about what a hate crime is.
- EG. says that a hate crime is any crime which is motivated by malice or ill-will towards a social group.
41
POLICE INITIATIVES: CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
- try to keep children safe from online abuse by teaching about the signs and how to report any potential incidents.
- EG. says that children being secretive about who they are talking to online may be a sign.
42
POLICE INITIATIVES: STUDENT SAFETY
- try to encourage safe behaviours for new uni students by offering practical guidance for student halls and online safety.
- EG. advise that students should keep any valuable items out of sight when they are not being used.
43
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES: ALCOHOL SCOTLAND ACT
- aims to reduce the number of violent crimes related to alcohol consumption, doing things like banning deals on alcohol and challenging those who look too young.
- EG. the number of violent crimes related to alcohol has fallen from 60% in 2008 to less than 50% in 2018.
44
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES: ROAD TRAFFIC ACT 2014
- aims to reduce the number of alcohol related incidents in scotland by reducing the amount of alcohol somoene can have and legally drive, down to 50mg per 100ml of blood.
- EG. the number of road deaths fell 14% in the first year after the limit was introduced.
45
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES: VRU
- work alongside the police and gov to tackle violence by implementing projects, such as visiting schools and discussing the risk of gangs.
- EG. in 2 years violent crime in Easterhouse fell by 46% thanks to the VRU.
46
ALTERNATIVE PUNISHMENTS: ELECTRONIC TAGGING
- tag worn around the ankle which provides info on an offenders compliance with court given curfew times.
- EG. currently more than 1000 offenders tagged in scotland.
47
ALTERNATIVE PUNISHMENTS: COMMUNITY PAYBACK
- designed to allow offenders to payback their community, doing things like clearing ice/snow, repainting buildings and cleaning beaches,
- EG. 1/3 of CPO offenders reoffend,
48
ALTERNATIVE PUNISHMENTS: FINE/COMPENSATION
- offenders may have to pay a sum of money as a fiscal fine or as compensation to the victim of their crime.
- EG. can be between £50 and £300
49
POSITIVES OF PRISON: REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES
- aims to help offenders work towards improving certain aspects of their live, often targeting alcohol or substance abuse.
- EG. can participate in Alcohol Awareness courses which highlight the dangers and health issues related to excessive drinking.
50
POSITIVES OF PRISON: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
- prisoners sit down with the victim and/or their family to discuss what has happened, allowing the prisoner to take responsibility and see the impact.
- EG. Scottish Justice Matters survey found that 85% of victims were satisfied with their meeting.
51
POSITIVES OF PRISON: WORK PROGRAMMES
- learn skills and gain employment experience that will encourage them to get a job after they leave custody.
- EG. in Barlinnie, prisoners have the chance to gain skills in bricklaying, gardening and hairdressing.
52
NEGATIVES OF PRISON: COST
- tax payer money is used to improve prisons and this money could be better spent in areas such as healthcare/education, or even cheaper punishments.
- EG. costs around £40k per year per prisoner.
53
NEGATIVES OF PRISON: REOFFENDING RATES
- time/money wasted on convicting criminals the first time, let alone the second - criminals may learn from each other when kept together.
- EG. 1/4 of prisoners reoffend within a year.
54
NEGATIVES OF PRISON: OVERCROWDNING
- many of scotlands prisons are very old building and prisoners are often crammed into cells - not cared for by society = not respect laws.
- EG. Barlinnie is operating at 140% capacity.
55
COURT SYSTEMS: JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURT
- deals with very minor crimes like traffic offenses, theft or vandalism, and is just held with a lay magistrate and no jury.
- EG. max sentence is 60 days, adn the max fine is £2500
56
COURT SYSTEMS: HIGH COURT
- deals with the most serious offences, like murder, rape, armed robbery and more, and is held with a judge and a jury of 15 people.
- EG. this court has unlimited sentencing powers.
57
CHS PROCEDURES: REFFERED TO CHILDREN@S REPORTER
- parents, carers, family members or even members of the public can refer a child if they think some aspect of the child's life/behaviour is cause for concern/problematic.
- EG. in 2016/17, 75% of referrals were from the police.
58
CHS PROCEDURES: CHILDREN'S REPORTER DECISION
- children's reporter decides if a child should go to the CHS, may speak to social workers, teachers, health professionals, the police and more to gather opinions.
- EG. may decide a compulsory supervision order is necessary and refer them to the CHS.
